


A House Divided

by Asylos, ReverseMousetrap



Series: Atlas 2.0 [1]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Comedy, Jack is a troll, M/M, Nothing taken seriously, Rhys is thirsty, Vaughn is just Done, did I mention the smut, tons of smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-08-04 19:25:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16352759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asylos/pseuds/Asylos, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReverseMousetrap/pseuds/ReverseMousetrap
Summary: Rhys needs a hand to get his business off the ground - who better to help than his best friend?Oh, and the vindictive ghost of a man who tried to murder him. He should probably have mentioned that before they all got stuck living under the same roof.[A collaboration between ReverseMousetrap and Asylos/Mirintala]





	1. The Last Straw

**Author's Note:**

> Once upon a time a Rhack shipper and a Gayperion shipper became friends. Things escalated from there.
> 
> What started as an alternate ending to another fic is now a cheerful AU consisting of various loosely-connected oneshots, set in the old Atlas facility and generally themed around our favourite characters insulting and sleeping with each other.

Vaughn slammed both hands down on the dining table.

“Bro, we need to talk about this _situation._ ”

Rhys flinched before looking up from his midnight cereal. “I already told you I’ll get the low-fat milk next time,” he said. “Let me enjoy this.”

“For once, your terrible diet is the least of my concerns.” Pulling up a chair, Vaughn dropped down onto it backwards like he was running an interrogation. “I’m talking about Jack.”

Ah, yes. Jack.

The journey to the facility had taken an awkward turn when Rhys confessed he’d brought an extra passenger along for the ride, stored in his old ECHO-Eye.

“He’ll be like a mentor,” Rhys had explained once Vaughn stopped sputtering in disbelief.

“He tried to murder you!”

“And I learned a lot from it! It won’t happen again.”

Things had progressed to downright hostile by the time they arrived - to the point that when he finally plugged Jack in to a locked-down Atlas terminal, the AI’s stream of invective was a welcome change from the passive aggression.

But both of them had calmed down, and Rhys had figured everything was fine. Vaughn had his numbers, Jack had a verbal punching bag (again), and he could start to look to the future. He hadn’t found a frame for it, but he’d taped the Atlas deed over his new desk.

Rhys rubbed the back of his neck as he chewed his mouthful of cereal. “What has he done now? Did he edit the ECHOpedia page again?”

“The fact you don’t know what he’s done is even more cause for concern, bro.”

“He needs some autonomy in the systems or we’ll never get the work done on schedule. Trust us a little, okay?” He offered what he hoped was a winning smile.

“I’m not worried about the Atlas systems, Rhys. I’m worried about yours. Don't you ever wonder why you’re always so tired and hungry? _You don’t sleep!_ He’s running around in - in _you_ when you think you’re asleep.”

“That…would explain a lot.” He glanced towards the fridge. “But he’s not doing anything, you know, bad. Right?”

“You’re not the one who has to deal with him,” Vaughn said flatly. “He keeps moving everything to the top shelves and yelling into the PA system. Oh, and grabbing my ass.”

The hologram flickered into existence beside Rhys, sporting a lecherous grin. “What do you expect me to do? It’s a great ass, and he insists on using that dumb standing desk...”

“Jack - new policy. No groping,” muttered Rhys.

“Yeah? What are you gonna do, report me to HR?”

He opted not to reply, letting out a long, loud exhale. There was no denying that Jack was a valuable asset, and not just when he was bulldozing through outdated Atlas code. He knew _business_ , had lived and breathed it, and even now that he was technically doing neither Rhys still hung on his every word. But he was not an easy person to work with.

Vaughn folded his arms. “You have to shut him down.”

“Good luck with that, Muscles,” Jack sang, a faint echo of his voice coming from the speakers overhead.

“What? No, I’m sure we can all work something out.” Thinking quickly, Rhys pushed his bowl aside and pulled up his palm display. “We could put him in a bot?”

“Hey! Don’t talk about me like I’m not here.”

Vaughn shook his head. “We did inventory when we got here. There’s nothing but scrap. You’d have to build something from scratch that he’d still be able to work from...and frankly, putting him in a body that doesn’t feel pain could be dangerous.”

Jack spread his arms wide in a shrug. “I _did_ try the robot body thing, if you remember.”

Rhys winced. “Yeah, that does kind of bring back bad memories.” Even though Vaughn couldn’t see the spectre, he recoiled the same way. “What other options do we have?”

“I already regret bringing this up, but there is...the cloning lab,” Vaughn said with a grimace.

“The what?”

“You glossed over it because it’s more bio-tech than tech-tech, but there _is_ a small cloning lab on site. It was on the automated tour.”

The only part of it Rhys remembered was sizing up the drone, wondering if its voice could be switched to a less gratingly cheerful mode. He’d never been more sympathetic to Jack’s crusade against the CL4P-TP line.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Jack ghosted through the table, distracted. “Atlas, cloning...they were doing something with digistructs...”

“If there isn’t a life-sized model of that jerk somewhere on the ECHOnet, I’ll be very surprised. They probably made body pillows.” Vaughn pretended to stick his fingers down his throat.

_If they did, I’d have known,_ Rhys almost said, but he managed to hold it in for all their sakes.

“Oh, I love this guy!” exclaimed Jack, clapping his hands together with glee. “Think about it, pumpkin. Your pal Handsome Jack, in the flesh.” He accentuated the phrase with a leer, just in case his meaning wasn’t clear enough.

Rhys fixed his gaze on his best friend’s face, trying to will the mental images away. “You sure you’re...okay with that plan?”

“At least then we can keep an eye on him. Handcuff him to a radiator or something.”

“Ohoho, handcuffs? I didn’t know you were interested in that kind of thing, short stuff. I mean I expected it from Legs, but he’s usually on the receiving end during _those_ dreams.”

Rhys’ face went bright red; Vaughn grabbed the spoon from his hand and flung it at the nearest speaker, hitting it dead centre. “I really do not need to know about your gross fantasies. Especially if they involve my best friend.”

“What, jealous?”

There was a very dangerous scowl on his face as he pointed at where he imagined Jack to be. “You know what? Actually, we _should_ give you a body. So I can kneecap it.”

“That’s all you could really reach.”

“Okay, how about we all calm down here?” Rhys said quickly, pushing Vaughn’s hand back down to the table as he stood up. “Vaughn, no more death threats. Jack, no more...of that. Otherwise this is going to be a very, very long month.”

“Can’t wait,” murmured Jack before he vanished.

The two friends looked at each other in silence until Rhys flashed a weak grin.

“It might be fun,” he said.

“It won't,” sighed Vaughn. "I guarantee it."


	2. In The Flesh?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things progress a little ahead of schedule.

By the next morning, Vaughn had confiscated all the sharp objects he could find and nailed down any item of furniture that could potentially be used as a bludgeon. He’d spent the hours after that disconnecting every weapons locker from the security mainframe and adding unique passcodes to each one. Finally, after a hasty lunch, he’d sat down with a collection of salvaged parts to try and rig up a rudimentary taser - just in case.

The little flashing light on his ECHOpad caught Vaughn’s attention and he looked up from his soldering. He pulled up the facility’s diagnostics, which showed a series of small power diversions over several hours, never quite large enough to trip an alarm, all approved by Rhys. He frowned. The last time he’d spoken to his friend, Rhys had been falling asleep at his desk...

Come to think of it, things were a little too quiet.

He swiped the device from the table and strode towards the living quarters. The two of them had picked out adjoining rooms on arrival as a throwback to their first Helios apartment, only for neither of them to get much sleep. Rhys’ door was ajar, a dim light spilling out through the gap.

“Hey, man,” he said quietly, pushing open the door. “I was just wondering what -”

The ECHOpad fell to the floor with a muffled thud, and there was a half-second of absolute silence before he let out a shriek.

“Well, that’s just rude,” said Jack.

The former CEO of Hyperion was lounging on Rhys’ bed, wearing nothing but a look of disappointment.

“You’re real,” Vaughn blurted out.

Jack rolled his eyes. “That _was_ the plan, short stuff. We agreed on it. You even suggested it.”

“You’re real, and you’re naked.”

“Boy, you really are the smart one, aren’t ya?”

“You’re real, and you’re naked, and you’re in Rhys’ bed -”

“Thought I’d surprise him,” Jack interrupted cheerfully. “Okay, you’ve used up your free staring time, buddy. Get on it or get out.”

“Get on it…?”

Jack gestured pointedly at his dick and sighed at the dumbfounded look on Vaughn’s face. “They did a great job on this, really. Though I think it’s a little smaller than the original. I guess they didn’t want it too big for them to handle,” he snickered. 

Vaughn refused to look, holding up a hand to block his view, though he couldn’t help but admire the artistry on the rest of the body: the broad shoulders, the wiry strength in the arms, the muscular thighs, the tasteful smattering of hair down his chest and stomach…

He decided to stare at the ceiling instead. 

“God, I'm sexier than I remembered. Reminds me of the first time I saw Timmy,” Jack said dreamily. At last, he sighed and rolled off the bed. “Okay, out you go. You’re really going to ruin the surprise standing in the doorway gawking like that.”

Despite the intimidation factor of the tall naked man striding towards him, Vaughn stood his ground.

“You keep your...freakishly large hands off Rhys!”

“Freakish?” Jack held a hand up and looked at it. “Most people enjoy them. They’re perfect for so many things. Especially in bed. Things your friend Rhys is quite excited to try, I assure you. Just because you’re too chickenshit to try it first -” 

He was silenced by a powerful right hook to the eye.

“This face is brand new, you little shit,” Jack growled as he staggered backwards, burying the sudden realisation that pain was a real thing again under the blinding rage, and then amused surprise. “Though good job punching above your height, I’ll give you that. But only ‘cause we’re alone.” 

Then he darted forward and grabbed Vaughn by the collar, pulling hard enough to make him stumble. “Still gonna have to whoop your ass.”

Vaughn bared his teeth and raised his fist again; the two of them stared into each others’ eyes with a blazing intensity, about to let fly until they were interrupted by a soft gasp from the doorway.

“Am I interrupting something?” Rhys asked uncertainly, the confusion on his face not quite enough to hide the fact he was also ogling every inch of Jack's body.

“Hey there, Rhysie.” Jack's face split into a shark-like grin, and he tossed Vaughn aside. “Sup?”

“I wasn't expecting to see you, uh...so soon,” said Rhys, unable to tear his eyes away. 

“Got tired of waiting.” 

Rhys opened his mouth to speak, but before he could collect his thoughts, Vaughn was standing between them and hustling him out of the room.

“Maybe later, babe!” called Jack. “I'll keep it warm for ya!”

“If that bastard thinks he's going to take advantage of you…” seethed Vaughn, dragging Rhys over to his room by the arm and locking the door behind them. “We’ll be safe in here. He can’t get into anything out there. I made sure of it.”

“Vaughn, relax. You’re overreacting.”

“That’s Handsome Jack, Rhys! You of all people know how many people he’s killed. You had a live stats poster on the wall. And he’s real now.”

“Yes, that was the plan.” He paused. “Do you think his dick was always that big…”

“Oh God, I punched him.” Vaughn was starting to look a little paler than usual.

“And those hands are huge…”

“We are so dead.”

Rhys sighed and took Vaughn’s hands, walking him backwards until he sat on the bed. “Vaughn, bro, if he was going to kill us, we would be dead already. It’s fine. Just take a deep breath and count electric calculators or something. It’ll be fine in the morning. I promise.”

“Will you stay here so I know you’re safe?”

He flopped down on top of the blankets, smiling indulgently. “Of course. Just like old times, right?”

Somehow, they slept. Vaughn wasn’t sure if the smell of cooking woke him or the sound of Rhys’ stomach growling. His friend wasn’t even awake yet but his nose had picked up the scent of food and his stomach was expressing clear interest. He took a moment to appreciate the warmth of his friend’s unconscious cuddling habit before reprimanding himself and elbowing him awake. “I smell food.”

“Mm. Smells good,” mumbled Rhys, wiping a bit of drool from the corner of his mouth. 

“Too good.”

Rhys led the way to the kitchen, where they found a breakfast spread laid out: a stack of fluffy pancakes, syrup and drakefruit slices, accompanied by a steaming pot of coffee. He immediately set himself down in front of one of the plates and dug in. “Thanks Jack! Looks as great as it smells.”

Vaughn took his seat far more cautiously. He made determined eye contact with Jack.

“It’s not poisoned,” said the older man, clearly exasperated. “Though I did think about it. No laxatives either. They seem fun in theory but the smell hangs around for days. Trust me. And I see that look, short stuff. No roofies either. I don’t need that shit to get laid.”

Rhys looked up from his second pancake as he felt two sets of eyes on him. “What?” 

Jack shook his head and chuckled, “He’s lucky he’s in here with us and not out in the wild. He’d get eaten alive, in more ways than one.” He turned back to Vaughn. “If you don’t eat it, I will, no loss. But consider it a fresh start since we’ll be working together. Handsome Jack isn’t quite welcome on Pandora at large right now, so I'm gonna take my chances with you nerds.”

“What an honour,” muttered Vaughn. 

Rhys elbowed him in the ribs. “Can you please just try to get along?” 

When Rhys put on the puppy eyes like that, combined with the jutting lower lip, there was no arguing with him. Vaughn pinched the bridge of his nose and finally reached for a fork, stabbing it into the pancake on the top of the pile.

“Okay, Jack,” he sighed. “Truce?”

“Sure thing, Ironabs.” Jack ran a hand through his hair, grinning. “But not on this battleground.” He clapped a hand on Rhys’ shoulder and winked. 

Rhys took advantage of the time Vaughn spent glaring at Jack to swipe a pancake off of his friend’s plate, unbothered by the deadly silence that fell over breakfast.


	3. Behind Closed Doors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys has a plan.

Vaughn always knew exactly where to be. If it weren't for the fact there were only the three of them living in that huge facility, Rhys would barely have noticed, but his best friend had an uncanny ability to triangulate their positions. Rhys couldn't blame him for wanting to keep an eye on Jack, but being caught between their watchful gazes was starting to make him feel like prey - and damn it, he was going to be the master of his own destiny.

Over the next few days, Rhys’ plans to get Jack alone had gotten more elaborate, and frankly, more dangerous, until they’d reached the current one that had Vaughn headed out to the outer labs, loaded shotgun in hand. Rhys chewed his bottom lip in concern as Vaughn assured him he had the situation easily in hand, and that there really wasn’t anything to worry about.

The second, also dangerous part of the plan involved dragging Jack away from his half-finished lunch into a disused storage room so they were further out of sight if his timeline was off. Plus, it ticked one of those old office fantasies off the list.

“I’ve bought us about fifteen minutes,” said Rhys, ignoring his protests. “So you'd better -”  
  
His smug grin faltered as Jack advanced on him with fire in his eyes. Having him around in hologram form had made it easy to forget just how intimidating he was, how deadly he could be with his bare hands.

Maybe Vaughn had been right.  
  
Jack seized a fistful of Rhys' hair and shoved him face-first against the wall. All the air was knocked out of him; he couldn't even make a sound as Jack yanked his head back painfully.  
  
He could feel hot breath against his ear, then teeth grazing his neck, making him shiver.

“Good work, Rhysie,” Jack purred, trailing his free hand down Rhys’ abdomen, pressing up against his back. “Guess we'd better make this quick, hmm? Shame. The things I'd do to you if I had a couple of hours…”

“Hurry up,” mumbled Rhys as he undid his belt buckle, shoving his clothes out of the way.

Jack was busy with his own jeans, and then he pulled his already-hard cock from his silk boxers, enjoying the few experimental pumps he gave himself. “Sure you can take it, princess?”

Rhys felt the tip of a finger slide across his entrance, stifling a giggle at Jack's surprised reaction to the generous amount of lube.

“Damn. You finally came up with a good plan,” said Jack.

"Not taking any chances on missing out on this,” Rhys snapped back, but as he felt two thick fingers slip inside him all he could do was let out a loud whine.

“Fuck. Should have guessed you were a screamer.”

The hand in his hair was suddenly clamped over his mouth.

“Don't ruin this for us,” hissed Jack. Rhys nodded as much as he could, closing his eyes as the blunt head of Jack's cock pressed up against his hole. He'd prepared himself to the best of his ability, but the feeling of that thick, hard length sinking into him inch by inch was so much more than he'd imagined - he grabbed fruitlessly at the wall, a muffled cry escaping him.

“You're tighter than I expected,” Jack sneered, but his voice was hoarse. He pulled back slowly before pressing in deeper, exhaling hard against Rhys’ neck. Rhys could feel himself shaking at the knees, the intoxicating mix of pleasure and pain and anticipation flooding through him.

The hand over his mouth disappeared, and he bit down hard on his lip to keep from moaning out loud - Jack was pulling at his tie, working the knot loose until he could whip it free from Rhys’ neck. “Open up, kitten.”

Having the fabric shoved unceremoniously into his mouth felt a little degrading, but Rhys was dismayed to find he _loved_ it. He pressed back against Jack's body with a huff, feeling the answering laugh reverberate through his chest. Jack moved to hold him by both hips, gripping hard enough to leave bruises. “You’ve been driving me frickin’ _crazy_ , baby. You know that? It was bad enough living with your thoughts of it, even worse when you’re actually within reach.”

Rhys managed to laugh through the gag. Like he’d been able to concentrate for the last few days, feeling Jack’s eyes on him, remembering the sight of his lean, powerful body…

Jack slapped him hard on the ass, bringing him back to reality a second before thrusting into him - and then all that mattered was the thick cock buried inside him, filling him like he’d never felt before.

“Touch yourself,” Jack growled in his ear, voice thick with lust. Rhys slid his left hand down, resting his forehead against his metal arm, and gripped his cock tightly as Jack stopped holding back.

He felt like he would break, being fucked without care or mercy, but also like he would melt from the pleasure of it; overwhelmed by sensation, he barely knew he was trying to scream. He imagined it was Jack's hand stroking him, listened to the barely coherent words spilling from the older man's mouth: _that’s right good boy you're doing so well take it take it all baby -_ his own muffled voice getting higher and more desperate every time Jack’s thrusts hit him just right.

Rhys had wanted this for so long that it was already driving him to the edge. He tried to hold back, to make the moment last, but everything was too much - he came with a strangled, drawn-out moan, Jack's grip on his body the only thing holding him up as the sparks radiated through his body, heat spilling over his hand.

He heard a curse from behind him, dimly aware of teeth sinking into his shoulder as Jack shuddered to a halt inside him. They stayed that way for several moments, in a silence punctuated by the hammering of his pulse and Jack’s wild panting.

“Shit, Rhysie,” he breathed. “I’ll kill Vaughn if it means I can have you whenever I want.”

Rhys started fishing the tie out of his mouth, suddenly conscious of feeling sweaty and thirsty and sore. Jack pulled out of him in a way that almost passed for gentle.

“Leave him alone,” said Rhys. “He's just protective.”

Jack patted him on the ass. “Sure, doll, that’s all it is.” He tucked himself back into his jeans, clearing his throat. “Now, ah, we probably shouldn’t leave here together if you still want to keep the peace, so...see ya later. I’ll let you have the first shower.”

“Jack, wait! Can you bring me -”

He waved goodbye before switching the lights off and slamming the door.

“- a towel,” Rhys finished, scowling.

He checked his palm display; the perimeter breach was marked as CLEARED, which made him feel more relieved than he'd expected. Thinking about it now with a clear head, he was starting to wonder if he'd gone too far.

Luckily he knew his way around the facility by now, managing to steer clear of Vaughn’s return until he could get to one of the private bathrooms. At least he could be clean while drowning in guilt.

Rhys stepped out with wet hair and wearing a bathrobe, only to run into a nervous blood-covered Vaughn. He would later insist he only screamed a little bit.

“Bro, we need to talk. I don't think those skags were there by chance. Jack's trying to -” Vaughn stopped mid sentence and frowned. “Why were you taking a shower?”

“I...wanted one?” Rhys answered defensively.

“You spent _ages_ getting dressed today.” He thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Never mind. Point is, I think Jack lured those things here. He wants us dead.”

“That's not true, like, ninety per cent of the time,” said Jack, strolling past in his underwear and carrying a towel. “Love the new look, by the way. Both of you.”

Vaughn glanced between the two of them, furrowing his brow, until Rhys cracked.

“It was me,” he said in a small, distant voice. “I did it.”

There was a long silence, then Jack shrugged, shoving past them. “Well, while you kids sort this out, I'm gonna just go take the next shower.”

Rhys stared at the floor, feeling very damp and exposed as Vaughn's gaze bored into him.

“Okay, I have a _lot_ of questions, but I'm just going to start with: why the _hell?”_

He shuffled his feet awkwardly. “Y'know. To get some private time.”

“I had to wade into a swarm of Pandora's most godforsaken creatures so you could get _laid_?” Vaughn hadn't been this mad in a long time, and never at him. He was slightly terrified. “This whole time I've been trying to protect you from that creep, and you couldn't just, I don't know, _say something?! '_ Gee Vaughn, I actually do want to have sex with the psychopath, so it’s okay that he’s being a giant perv.’ _”_

“I knew you'd disapprove,” Rhys whined in the way he always did when he knew he was completely in the wrong. “You always do.”

“I always disapprove because you have literally the worst taste!” said Vaughn. “Do you remember college? Because I do, Rhys. Though at least none of them _murdered people_.”

“I'm sorry, okay? It was selfish, and stupid, and not fair to you at all. And please stop waving your gun around.”

Vaughn sighed, slinging the weapon over his shoulder. “Is it just a sex thing, you and him?” he asked, sounding resigned.

“I mean, if you can call it a thing when it's only once…” Rhys looked to the bathroom door, blushing. “I'd like it to be. It was...really good.”

His best friend made a disgusted face. “I mean, you're not gonna come to me crying in three days expecting sympathy because he's an asshole and then eat every last carton of ice cream we have to last till the next delivery?”

“No, I think I kind of know what to expect at this point.”

They heard the water shut off and Jack reappeared, dripping all over the floor as he pointed two finger guns at Rhys.

“Oh, by the way, since all that’s sorted, I'm sleeping in your bed tonight, babe, so clear some of the stuffed toys out of the way. And FYI, I sleep naked.”

Vaughn glared daggers at him. “If I hear a single sound while I'm trying to sleep, I will break down the door and end you both.”

A grin spread across Jack's face. “Don't worry. We'll leave it open.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feat. Jack as your roommate's shitty boyfriend who leaves his underpants on the kitchen floor


	4. Friends With Benefits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is feeling generous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All aboard the gayperion train, choo choo

“I think Vaughn's still avoiding me,” sighed Rhys.

Jack rolled his eyes. “Can you not talk about him while my dick is inside you?”

“Do you think it's because of the skag thing? I told him I was -”

He was cut off as Jack abruptly flipped him onto his back with a grunt. “Another word about him before I’m done and I will find something to gag you with.”

Rhys pouted, but not for long as Jack grabbed him by both ankles to rest them on his shoulders; the next powerful thrust forced a surprised little noise from his mouth, and within moments he was grabbing at the sheets and forgetting everything else. Jack was always just on the edge of being too much for him, playing rough and keeping up a punishing rhythm, and Rhys couldn't get enough.

This time Jack was generous enough to help him out, wrapping a hand around his cock and stroking in time with his thrusts, and when he came in a wave of bliss it was a long time before he remembered that anything was wrong in the world.

“Now,” Jack said, rolling over and reclining on the bed while pulling Rhys over to drape across him like a sweaty blanket, “you can talk about your boring feelings. Though talking to _him_ is probably what you should be doing.”

“I don’t know. Maybe he just needs some space.”

He groaned. “You’re really terrible at this. Just pick one or the other and then go to sleep.” But Rhys had such a tragic look on his face that Jack felt a stirring of pity.

“You wanna know why he's avoiding you?” He waited for a nod, wanting a suitably dramatic pause. “Because he wants to stick it in you. And for some reason he thinks that he's not allowed to now.”

Rhys’ eyes widened briefly. “We're - we're just friends, Jack,” he said, sounding alarmed.

“Uh-huh.” Jack managed to hold back the laugh, settling for a smirk. “Listen, babe. Do you like his company?”

“Of course I do!”

“Do you think he's hot?”

“What? Uh,” stammered Rhys. “I mean, I guess he is. With the hair, and the beard, and the abs. And the eyes. But -”

“So go bang him,” said Jack with a shrug. “It’ll solve your problem.”

Rhys propped himself up on the other man's chest with both forearms, frowning. “I can't believe you of all people are suggesting this.”

“Rhysie, baby, I don't care what you do or _who_ you do so long as it doesn't cut into my time,” said Jack. “And frankly, if it makes him stop trying to kill me with dirty looks, I'm all for it. You keep saying you want to keep the peace around here.”

“He wouldn't be interested anyway,” Rhys murmured. “Because we're just friends.”

“Ah, you're so cute and dumb. It's what I like about you.”

“Hey!” he protested, before Jack brought a hand up to his cheek and grazed his thumb over Rhys’ neural port. It made him close his eyes and lean into the touch, practically purring.

“Get some rest, pumpkin, then really think about it. And maybe later you can blow me in the shower.”

“Wow. You really know how to seduce a guy,” Rhys said sleepily. 

“Ah, you love it.” Jack ruffled his hair before nudging him off. “Alright. Daddy’s got stuff to do.”

He chuckled at Rhys’ vague noise of disgust and started picking his clothes up off the floor. He was curious to see what he could program into the Quick-Change Machine; he had some ideas for new outfits for both of them and no intention of doing laundry. Did they even have a laundry? Didn’t matter. What was the point of technology if not to abuse it for fun and profit.

By the time he looked over his shoulder in the doorway, Rhys was fast asleep, curled up with his face buried in a pillow. Jack shook his head. The kid was lucky he had his looks.

\---

Vaughn looked up from his spreadsheet at the sound of someone shuffling into the room, taking the opportunity to stretch his shoulders. He was surprised to see Jack, whose entrances were usually very loud and incredibly vulgar.

“Hey, kiddo. What'cha doing?” asked Jack. He sounded like an overly friendly baseball coach.

“Some actual work, seeing that nobody else is,” Vaughn snapped. He saved his file for the fifth time in three minutes. “I see you're wearing clothes. What's the occasion?”

He tensed up as Jack walked around to peer over his shoulder at the screen, expecting some smartass suggestion or crude remark, but the older man just nodded and hopped up to sit on the table.

“I wanna do something nice for you,” said Jack. “You're the reason I'm physically here, after all.”

“A decision I regret more every time you open your mouth.”

“I'm wounded. Truly.” He drummed his fingers on the desk, waiting patiently as Vaughn went back to tweaking sales projections.

Eventually the accountant sighed and dropped the device, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Fine. What’s this nice thing you’ve decided to do for me and what’s it going to cost me?”

“Why would it cost you anything?” Jack spread his arms wide, attempting to smile sweetly and not quite succeeding. “I’m just balancing the scales.”

“Alright then, how much am I going to regret it?”

Jack swung his legs up to rest in Vaughn's lap. “Up to you. Play your cards right and you won’t regret it at all.”

“So it has the potential to go terribly wrong.” Vaughn half-heartedly tried to shove his feet off, scowling.

“Only if you don’t take the chance while it’s there. Let’s stop beating around the bush here. You want to hook up with Rhys.”

“What?” He looked startled for a second, then composed himself. “No. He’s just a friend. You might not have heard of the concept.”

“You’re the best of friends. Yes, yes, I’ve heard that story before. Cut the bullshit.” Leaning in conspiratorially, Jack shoved the ECHOpad aside. “I see the way you look at him. You want those sexy legs wrapped around you.”

“Ugh - Jack, can you not?”

“It's nothing to be ashamed of, Tiny. I've had several of the galaxy's finest, and that boy is _dynamite!”_ He laughed, and Vaughn looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. “But, uh, between you and me? He's not that bright.”

“He was the best hacker at Hyperion,” Vaughn said fiercely.

“Oh, don't get me wrong, he's a genius. But he's an idiot. Can you believe he thinks you wouldn't want his pretty little mouth around your -”

“Stop it!” he shrieked, making as if to cover his ears, then pausing. “You've...talked about this?”

“Your little silent treatment act is eating the poor boy alive with guilt, but ol’ Jack knows the real reason you’re upset and has come to reassure you that I am capable of sharing my toys. In fact, I think it could be mutually beneficial, since we’re all stuck here together.”

Vaughn opened his mouth and then closed it again, his hands curling into fists. “Rhys isn't an object you can just pass around.”

“You're right. He’s a grown man with an insane sex drive who lives with two totally hot dudes, so you can quit being so precious.” Jack sprang lightly to his feet. “You’re making dinner tonight, right? I’ll bring a little something to set the mood.”

He patted Vaughn on the cheek, grinning when his hand was angrily smacked away.

“Oh, and Muscles? When you seal the deal, I wanna watch.”

\---

It felt good to work together in the kitchen again like nothing had happened. Rhys had practically fallen over himself offering to help - now he hummed along to the radio as he peeled potatoes, while Vaughn scoured the cupboards in search of spices. Neither of them mentioned Jack, but they could both sense that a weight had been lifted. Everything felt easy, natural, the way it always had between them.

Rhys was always affectionate, an ongoing source of angst for his best friend, but tonight he had turned it up to eleven, all shoulder touches and hip checks as they weaved around one another. Vaughn thought he was aware of Rhys looking at him curiously whenever his back was turned, but he only caught him once - and the conversation trailed off as they traded shy smiles.

It made him wonder. Could Jack really have been telling the truth?

The man in question bounded into the room mere seconds after Rhys called him for dinner, greeting them both cheerfully before slamming a bottle down on the counter.

“Whaddaya say we drink to friendship tonight?” said Jack, winking.

Rhys snorted. “Looks like you got started without us.”

“I was making sure it wasn't poisoned.”

Vaughn picked up the bottle and examined the label. “Jeez. I think it'll kill us anyway. I haven’t had bourbon since college.”

“Well, if you don't want any…”

He tightened his grip as Jack made a grab for it and missed. “I didn't say that.” Vaughn lifted his chin, looking the older man in the eye. “To friendship.”

Raising the bottle to his lips before he could think better of it, he took a defiant swig. It burned like hell, his eyes watering as he gasped for air, but he managed to keep it together. Rhys gave him a little cheer, beaming with pride. God, he had a perfect smile, Vaughn thought as he handed the bottle over to his best friend. An old familiar warmth bloomed in his chest. It was enough to allow him to let it go when Jack made some obscene remark and Rhys snickered.

“So how’d you two lovebirds meet, anyway?” Jack asked pointedly.

Vaughn looked up, startled. “Don't talk with your mouth full,” he blurted out.

“We got assigned to share a dorm in freshman year,” Rhys said wistfully, oblivious to the flurry of non-verbal communication happening across the table. “I think it was fate.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Can't relate. I hated everyone in college.” He swiped the bourbon from Rhys and took another slug before sliding it back towards Vaughn. “But it’s kinda sweet that you’re still together.”

“You make it sound like we’re married,” Rhys said with a giggle. His cheeks were already flushed and his hair flopped over his forehead in loose waves. Vaughn was hit with a flashback of having to hold it up for hours overnight.

“You sure act like it.” A little smirk passed across Jack’s face. “When you’re not acting like clueless high schoolers.”

Vaughn was starting to feel nervous at the suddenly raised stakes, his heart beating faster. He covered it up with another long draw on the bottle, hoping to hit the sweet spot between courage and idiocy. “I have no idea what you mean,” he said, trying not to sound drunk already.

Jack leaned back in his chair, both hands behind his head. “Look. I’ve learned over my illustrious, film-worthy and _highly_ explicit career how to tell what people want, and it’s clear you want each other,” he said. “Y’know. Sexually.”

A stunned silence fell over the room, and then they both started talking at once.

“Hey, just because I said he was hot -”

“That is _so_ inappropriate! I’m so sorry, bro -”

“And I mean, he _is_ , but you can’t just _assume_ -”

“I would never risk our friendship -”

With a groan, Jack stood up and marched over to grab Rhys under the arm, tossing him into Vaughn’s lap.

“I literally cannot take any more of this,” he said loudly as he picked up the bottle. “Quit being stubborn, stop wasting your energy and _do something_.”

Rhys fiddled with a strand of hair, unsure what to do with his legs as he tried to steady himself. He bit his lip. “Would you...be interested?”

They were very close together, and Vaughn could feel every tiny shift in their positions. He thought back to every late night, every shared bed. There were a lot. After what felt like an eternity, he managed to force himself to place his hands on Rhys’ waist.

“Yeah. Definitely,” he said hoarsely. Metal fingers traced along his jaw, brushing against his lip, making his breath catch in his throat; he tilted his head back, eyes drifting shut in anticipation...

“Oh yeah, this is the good stuff,” mused Jack, way too close. “You guys are gonna fuck for days.”

Vaughn allowed himself to be frustrated for a full second before taking a deep breath, standing up and hauling a surprised Rhys over his shoulder.

“We’ll be taking this discussion somewhere more private,” he said coolly. “Oh, and thanks, Jack.”

Jack just watched them go, taken aback by the open expression of gratitude. It wasn’t until Vaughn swept out of the room and slammed the door that he realised his bourbon was gone.


	5. Nothing But Scraps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone learns the true meaning of friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Insults, trolling and gratuitous sex - just another day in A House Divided.

Rhys stirred from his deep sleep at the sound of irregular metallic clanging outside the door, and was immediately hit with a wave of nausea. He froze in position, letting out a tortured exhale as he waited for it to recede.

 _“Rise and shine, kiddos!”_ yelled a muffled voice, followed by maniacal laughter.

The two-thirds empty bottle on the nightstand looked down at him, taunting him. Groaning, he tried to raise an arm against the light, only to find it trapped under something heavy and warm. Vaughn was nestled against his side, opening one eye at the motion and the noise. He looked content and peaceful, right up until the hangover hit him too.

“Hey bro,” said Rhys, his voice coming out in a rasp. If he didn't move his head or his body, he thought he might be okay.

“Guhh...morning.” Vaughn made a weak flip-off gesture at the door, towards where Jack was singing an off-key rendition of _I Will Always Love You_ accompanied by kitchenware _._ He looked into Rhys’ eyes for a moment, then glanced away, biting his lip.

“This might sound like a weird question, but did we have sex last night?” mumbled Rhys.

“No,” said Vaughn.

“Right. I figured I'd remember it if we did, but just making sure.” He frowned. “Why not?”

“You were drunk, and...I didn't want to take advantage of you.”

Rhys wriggled his arm free, propping himself up on one elbow despite his entire body's protests, and looked down at his friend.

“I wanted you to take advantage of me,” he said with a lopsided smile.

Vaughn covered his face with both hands. “Oh God. Jack was right. We can never let you out on your own.”

Rhys slipped his fingers around his friend's wrist, tugging it away. “Hey, it's okay. We've got plenty of time. If you still want to, I mean…”

The gentle look in Vaughn's eyes made him almost forget the pounding in his own skull.

"Yeah. I do,” Vaughn said.

Rhys’ heart skipped a beat as he leaned in close, their noses touching just a fraction of a second before their lips brushed - and then they were kissing, soft and sweet -

 _“Never gonna GIVE YOU UP, never gonna LET YOU DOWN,”_ Jack shouted at the top of his lungs.

Rhys couldn't help but laugh, pressing his face into Vaughn's bare chest and trying to get a hug.

“I needed to brush my teeth anyway,” he said. “I'll go make us some coffee.”

Rhys squeezed out the door, closing it quickly behind him before Jack could stick his nose in. He gave the man and his pots a dirty look, then grinned. “Never gonna give me up, huh?”

“Not if you still have that ass,” Jack said, swatting Rhys on the part in question with a pot as he walked past to the kitchen. “So?”

“So what?” He pulled the coffee maker towards him on the counter and started to spoon the grounds into it. It wasn’t the fancy coffee press, but he was in a rush to get cleaned up and head back.

“Did you doooo iiiiit?” asked Jack in a sing-song voice.

“No we did not.” He set three empty cups down on the counter, along with a spoon and the sugar bowl.

“Well, why the hell not? I put a lot of work into setting things up.”

“He didn’t want to take advantage of me while I was drunk.”

Jack dropped the pots into the sink with the loudest clash he could muster. “But you love being taken advantage of.”

“Yes, well, Vaughn is a gentleman,” Rhys said wistfully.

“Bullshit. He stole my bourbon.”

“Where did you even find that relic?”

Jack shrugged. “One of the offices. Doesn’t matter. You’re going to go back and seal the deal, right?”

“Why are you so concerned about this?” Rhys asked, suspicious now. He leaned back against the counter, arms crossed.

“Rhysie, pumpkin, relax. Just trying to make things nice and easy around here. You said you wanted to keep the peace!” He slung an arm around Rhys’ shoulders. “The poor guy needs some stress relief too, and you’re good for that.”

“A glowing review. I’m sure to get a raise come time for salary increases.” He thought for a moment and sighed. “Ugh, I keep forgetting you work for me now. You’re up to something, but my head hurts too much to figure it out right now. I’m going to go brush my teeth. Help yourself to some coffee when it’s ready.”

Jack watched as Rhys walked off to the bathroom. He briefly considered swapping the sugar for salt in the other two cups, but that would just interfere with the progression of events. Things were finally settling into the proper order, and he wasn’t going to jeopardise that for a cheesy prank. Not yet anyway. He filled up his cup when the machine beeped, grabbed the jumbo-sized bag of chips he’d stashed earlier, and set off to enjoy the day ahead.

The Atlas employee lounge wasn’t even as big as his office had been, but it was decent enough. The projector was set up from whatever social event had been held there before Athena had wiped out the last of the poor buggers. With all of the various couch cushions moved to the floor in front of the main couch, it almost made a surface as big as his much missed bed. It was there that Jack stretched out, bag of chips resting at his side, and the cheesiest action flick he could download in the Atlas archives projected onto the wall. It wasn’t long before a pile of chips decorated the floor against the wall where he’d thrown them at the characters while shouting at them.

Jack woke to an unfamiliar weight on his chest. He cracked one eye open, then the other. He poked the orange ball of fur. It merped as it unwound into a cat. “The fuck you come from?” It looked too well kept to have just wandered into the compound. He held out a chip to it, and the cat licked it before taking it between its teeth and shaking it violently like it was trying to break its neck before eating it. Jack chuckled, startling the cat from its place on top of him.

“Stupid cat,” he said, offering it another chip in apology. It took it and ate it.

\---

It was difficult to tear himself away from kissing Vaughn long enough to do anything else, but Rhys managed to clumsily pull the clothes off both of them.

“Holy shit,” Vaughn breathed, their foreheads pressed together as he ran his fingers down Rhys’ exposed back, making him shiver. “You're beautiful.”

Rhys was lost for words, his throat tight, heart fluttering. He took a deep breath and wrestled his friend down onto the bed. The way Vaughn touched him was nothing like Jack, a question rather than a demand, and his body was responding in ways he’d never felt; his skin was on fire everywhere they touched, sparks in every nerve, his cock throbbing where it was trapped between them.

“Wait here,” whispered Rhys. “Lie back.” He pressed his metal hand against Vaughn’s chest as he finally lifted himself off the bed. Vaughn gazed at him with an adoring smile as he looked around, lost.

“Top drawer,” said Vaughn. Rhys shoved aside a pile of ironed and folded boxer briefs, hurriedly fishing out the lube. For a moment he was hypnotised by a vision of Vaughn, one hand around himself, the other twisted in the sheets as he bit back Rhys’ name...

He didn’t want to wait any longer. As soon as he had two fingers slicked up, he handed the bottle to Vaughn. Rhys was already starting to tease himself, sliding just the tips inside his entrance, watching in awe as his friend ran his hand along the length of his thick, hard cock.

“You sure about this, bro?” Vaughn asked quietly, reaching out to him. “We can just -”

“I’m not made of glass,” growled Rhys as he moved to straddle the other man. It was strange, dizzying to be in control like this. He bit down on his lip, working his fingers in and out at a steady pace. “Ah - _fuck_ \- wanna feel you inside me.”

The look of pure ecstasy on Vaughn's face as he sank down slowly onto his cock would be seared into Rhys’ memory forever. Vaughn let out a quiet groan, resting his hands on Rhys’ thighs as they both became accustomed to the sensation.

“Why didn't we do this before?” he said.

“Because we're idiots,” said Rhys. He shifted his hips experimentally and found an angle where he could move more smoothly; bracing himself against Vaughn's chest, he started to ride him, slow and deliberate. Vaughn threw his head back against the pillow, eyes closed and lips parted, moving with Rhys to slide deeper inside him.

“Does - does that feel good?” Vaughn said hoarsely.

“You ask too many questions,” Rhys answered with a soft smile, and leaned down to kiss him. Vaughn's hips jerked upwards at the contact, catching him by surprise and forcing a muffled moan out of him; he pulled back just a fraction of an inch to take Vaughn's lower lip between his teeth, sucking gently.

“Oh, fuck…”

Rhys started to move in earnest then, needing more, watching every moment of his friend's reactions with a sense of pride. His own pleasure was building, and Vaughn seemed to sense his need, thrusting up to meet him and hitting his nerves just right.

“Shit, Rhys, I'm so close,” Vaughn choked out. “Don't know how much more…”

Rhys said nothing and just let out a devious laugh as he rode him even harder. Vaughn tried to hold out as long as he could, fucking into him deep and fast, wiping that smug look off his face - but then he was coming in incoherent gasps, fingers digging into Rhys’ thighs as he spilled into him.

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” panted Vaughn. “Couldn’t stop.”

“You did great, bro,” said Rhys with a lazy grin, easing up and down just a few more times as Vaughn’s breathing slowed, and finally lifting off to sit back on the bed. “Now, get over here and finish what you started?”

A look of relief spread across Vaughn’s face, and he sprung up straight away to kiss Rhys again; then his mouth was following his hands down to Rhys’ jaw, his throat, the bright lines of his tattooed chest, stopping just short of his aching cock. Rhys whined impatiently at the feel of hot breath ghosting across his skin, lying back to give the other man better access.

“Does Jack ever do this for you?” murmured Vaughn, looking up and smirking.

“I - ah, no,” Rhys said, flustered. “No, he doesn’t.” He wasn't even particularly sure if Jack had ever kissed him.

“Didn’t think so.” But the confident look on Vaughn’s face faltered. “I just...need to know I can compete, I guess.”

“Bro, listen.” Rhys ran his metal fingers through his friend’s hair, toying with the ends. “When I’m with you, I’m with you. You’re all I’m thinking about. Believe me, okay?”

Vaughn took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah. Okay.” They traded one last glance, both smiling, and then he leaned in to press his lips against the head of Rhys’ cock. As Rhys tipped his head back, he could feel the tip of a finger circling his hole; a delighted moan escaped him at the thought of being filled again.

Vaughn was teasing him at first, taking him into his mouth and pulling back slowly, but Rhys’ appreciative whimpers soon coaxed him into more. The feeling of that hot tongue sliding along his length combined with the way first two, then three fingers curled inside him was driving Rhys crazy, a string of half-whispered curses and praise falling from his lips.

He arched off the bed only for Vaughn’s free hand to splay across his hips, holding him down. Pinned, helpless and blissfully overwhelmed, he came so hard that his eyes rolled back in his head, stars dancing across his vision. Somewhere in the distance he was aware of Vaughn guiding him through it, swallowing everything down, hands roving over his skin.

“You’re amazing,” he whispered in a daze, the static retreating from his fingertips.

“I have my moments,” said Vaughn.

“Hope you have more soon.”

\---

“You're probably the best company I've had in a while,” said Jack, scratching between the cat's ears. “Good to know I'm still a pussy magnet.”

He laughed out loud at his own joke, but it died away quickly in the empty room.

“Ah, damn. That's so much more fun when there's idiots around to appreciate it. Rhys'd be all like, ‘Ooh, you're so funny and handsome, do me,’ and Vaughn would be all like, ‘Stop it Jack, I'm allergic to fun.’”

The cat continued to knead on the nearest cushion, utterly failing to appreciate his impersonations. He sighed.

“I should probably give you a name. So I can get attached to you, only for you to abandon me like everyone else.” Jack grabbed its tail and lifted. He felt a spot that was distinctly broken and the cat swatted at his face. He flinched back just a little, letting go. “Ah, you're a girl.”

She meowed loudly.

“I had a cat once. His name was Scraps. That work for you? I mean, it’s gender neutral, right?”

He looked her in the eye, offering her a slow blink. Scraps blinked back, and clambered onto his lap to bump her forehead against his.

“If there is anyone you want dead, just point a claw in their direction and it’s done. No questions asked,” Jack said. “Especially if it’s Vaughn. Though he _is_ good with numbers, so I guess he's useful.” He settled back into the cushions and started the next movie in his planned marathon.

“So, do you think they did it yet?” Jack asked, reaching into the chip bag to pull out the last of them, and muting the movie just in time to hear a faint, familiar cry in the distance. He laughed. “Oh man, that timing. Am I good or what? Damn, that boy is loud.”

He wasn't jealous. Not at all.


	6. Front Row Seats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's movie night!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More smut, more fights, and more Scraps (yay!)

It was nearly lunchtime when Rhys and Vaughn finally decided to extract themselves from the comfort of each other’s arms and do something productive with the day. Vaughn headed straight for the shower while Rhys went back to his room to gather supplies for a luxurious shower of his own. They ran into each other again outside the lounge, and peered inside cautiously, attention drawn by the sound of gunfire.

“Woah, sweet setup,” Rhys said, before noticing Jack asleep in the center of the room, lit by the flickering film projection. He nudged Vaughn and pointed to the sleeping figure.

“I like him better when he’s asleep,” Vaughn whispered. “Wait. Is that…is that my cat?”

A snort came from the mound of cushions and blankets. “I heard that, and no, it’s my cat. She chose me.” Jack extracted himself from the pile and stood, coaxing Scraps up onto his shoulders in a display of ownership.

“You leave her alone, you murdering bastard!”

“Will you get _over_ the murder thing already?” He gave the cat a little scratch under her chin. “Anyway, what are you doing out of the bedroom? You need some tips, or just here to enjoy the view?”

Vaughn scowled and Rhys angled himself between them. “Nope, no tips needed. We’re fine. As CEO I’m commandeering this room after dinner,” Rhys said.

Jack shrugged. “Suit yourself, I’m done. You can clean it up.” He pushed past the pair into the hallway and disappeared down the corridor.

Vaughn gave Rhys a curious look. “What for?”

“Bro, this is perfect! How long has it been since we did movie night? It’ll be like the old days, except without, y’know, the anxiety over appropriate cuddling form.”

He nodded. “Sounds fun. Just...ugh, I’m gonna clean up these crumbs first. See you tonight?”

Rhys leaned down and gave his friend a hesitant peck on the cheek, both of them blushing madly. “Yeah. See ya.”

He was in no hurry as he made his way to the shower, humming a song he’d never learned the words to and thinking idly about shield power cells. He’d taken apart some of the old Atlas models during his last stay, and he was sure he could boost the charging rate if he could just modify -

“Come crawling back already?”

He looked up, startled. Jack was watching him with a smirk and a raised eyebrow from where he leaned against the wall, towel slung low around his hips.

“I'm sure he did his best, pumpkin. Not everyone can be me.”

Mesmerised by the sight, it took him several moments to notice the wet floor. “You didn't lock the door?” he blurted out.

“Why bother? You've both seen everything. You're welcome, by the way.” Jack sauntered over to pat him on the cheek. “But now that we’re alone - how was it? You can tell me. Was his dick really small? Did he cry?”

“It was perfect,” Rhys said coolly, but he could feel himself grinning involuntarily. He looked Jack in the eye, unfazed by his scowl. “Don't worry. I'll still make time for you. Occasionally.”

A little shiver of delight ran through him as Jack grabbed him by the chin. “Rhysie. _Baby._ You know that's not how this works.”

Rhys was starting to realise how much he liked seeing Jack like this, all flustered and jealous and just a little bit deadly. He figured a psychologist would have a field day with their little household if they all survived.

“Maybe you need a reminder.” Jack untucked his towel, letting it fall to the ground before he kicked it towards Rhys’ feet. “On your knees, kitten.”

He tried to think of a witty response, but it was too late; all of his attention was already focussed on Jack’s cock, his thoughts overrun with memories of being fucked long and hard without mercy. Jack was nothing like anyone else he'd ever been with - selfish and brutal and wild, yet somehow everything his body needed, and Rhys wasn’t going to give that up for the sake of a cheap win. He also knew he was more than capable of turning the tables on anyone when his mouth was involved.

He set his shower supplies down against the wall and dropped obediently to the tiled floor, cramming the towel under his knees before looking up at Jack through half-lidded eyes.

“Don't act so innocent, cupcake,” he sneered. “You know it's where you belong.”

But when Rhys ran his tongue lazily over the slit, licking up a drop of precum like he was savouring a fine wine, Jack suddenly seemed less confident - and whatever insult he was about to throw turned into a whispered _oh, fuck_ as Rhys leaned in to take him into his mouth properly.

Rhys loved sucking cock, loved the feeling of being on his knees with his mouth full and still pulling the strings. He'd had a fantasy back in college about being called to Handsome Jack's office for a private interview and ending up under the desk, but he'd always imagined himself playing the helpless submissive. Now he had the legend right where he wanted him, growling his name.

“God, Rhysie, you were _made_ to take cock.”

He made a petulant noise in his throat, glaring upwards. Jack's fingers slipped through his hair, tugging lightly, an encouragement and a warning.

He was taking in as much as he could at once, teasing the underside whenever he could move his tongue under the thick weight of it, the subtleties of his technique lost - not that Jack seemed to care. When Rhys reached up with his left hand, hoping to give himself some breathing space, he found his wrist caught in an iron grip.

“No cheating,” said Jack with a devious grin. “Hands behind your back.”

Rhys obeyed, giving a little whimper for dramatic effect, then he closed his eyes and concentrated on relaxing his mouth as Jack took control of the rhythm. The older man began to move his hips, thrusting slowly at first, holding Rhys in place so he couldn’t get away or speak.

“Such a good boy…” Jack groaned. “Waited so long to do this to you.”

The need in his voice sent a jolt right to Rhys’ core, his own cock twitching in response; he shoved the thought aside as Jack started to push harder and deeper into his mouth. It was almost at the limit of what he could take, his jaw aching; when Jack's cock grazed the back of his throat he could feel tears pricking his eyes, but he refused to give up. He loved the taste, the feel of it, the knowledge that in that instant he was the centre of Jack's universe.

Jack’s hand was twisted through Rhys’ hair now, his grip painfully tight as he fucked his mouth. Rhys choked out a moan, barely able to breathe, saliva running down his chin. All he could do was take it. He could hear that Jack was close - his thrusts becoming irregular, his voice dropping to a husky growl; he prepared himself to swallow - and then Jack was coming in thick, hot spurts down his throat, holding him in place as he tried to take it all.

When Rhys finally managed to tear himself away he couldn’t stop coughing; his eyes watered and he was barely aware of the warm trail dripping from the corner of his mouth. Jack released him, and a moment later a surprisingly gentle thumb swiped across his jaw, cleaning him up before he fell forwards onto all fours.

“You did good, _boss_ ,” said Jack with a laugh. He nudged the towel with his toes. “You can look after the laundry for me too.”

“You’re an asshole.”

“And yet,” Jack said, “you love having me around.” He pointed both finger guns at Rhys before turning on his heel and strutting off in the nude.

Rhys stayed on the floor for a moment, sulking, then shuffled over to pick up the bottle of his favourite pineapple-scented body wash. He’d get back at Jack eventually; until then, there was no day that couldn’t be improved with running hot water.

\---

Sprawled out on the cushions, it didn’t take long for Rhys and Vaughn to wind up in each other’s arms again, kissing like they’d been apart for weeks instead of a few hours.

“Hey, Muscles,” came a voice from behind them. “When you kiss him? That’s me you’re tasting.”

They sprang apart, Vaughn looking ready to commit acts of extreme violence.

“I brushed my teeth,” Rhys muttered.

“What are you doing here?” snarled Vaughn, his hands curled into fists.

“I was bored, so I figured I’d come hang out with my bestest buds in the whole world,” said Jack, unfazed. “Also this is my bed, so…”

“Anyway, we can’t stay up too late. I’ve got a conference call in the morning,” Rhys announced loudly.

Jack snorted. “You? A work call?”

“Believe it or not, I am more than just a cumdumpster around here,” he snapped back. At the same time he shuffled over to lean his weight on Vaughn before the man could start throwing punches.

“Sure thing sweetheart, tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night. So what are we watching?”

Rhys held up the case. “It's called _Under the Table._ ”

“A porno? Sweet.”

“No, Jack,” he sighed. “It's an award-winning romantic comedy about a corporate spy who falls in love with an executive, but then -”

“Sounds laaaaame,” interrupted Jack. “C'mon, Tiny, can't we outvote him on this one?”

“Now I want to watch it for the sole reason that you don't,” Vaughn said smugly.

Jack folded his arms, scowling. “And to think I wasted my booze on you.”

Rhys shushed them both as the opening credits splashed across the wall, settling in between the two of them and practically vibrating with excitement. “I was gonna see this on the weekend we came to Pandora,” he chirped. “Full circle, huh?”

The movie unfolded in dark, moody colours, the improbably good-looking cast all sharply dressed in last season's suits. Rhys was laughing in all the right places, Vaughn always following shortly afterwards like he was taking cues instead of being genuinely amused.

Jack was not.

“This is so boring,” he groaned. “No-one has even shot at anyone. Why does that loser even carry a gun? I’m just going to sleep.” He wrapped an arm around Rhys, pulling him away from where he was snuggling with Vaughn, and pressed himself against his back.

Rhys huffed loudly and tried to pull himself out of the octopus grip with no luck, barely budging the snoring lump attached to him. He gave Vaughn an apologetic look and used his free arm to reach out for him. “Not quite like old times, I guess. Just pretend he’s not there? He’s just doing it to annoy you.”

Their fingers intertwined, Vaughn making his way closer so they could watch the rest of the movie together - but soon Rhys could feel his eyes drifting shut, the lines of dialogue running together in a dreamlike haze, and then he was fast asleep.

\---

Vaughn stirred, shifting his weight on the pile of cushions. They were surprisingly comfortable despite the haphazard arrangement. He figured that kind of thing mattered at Jack's age. Stretching his legs, he felt an arm draped across him; he smiled to himself and snuggled into the taller man next to him.

“Morning, bro,” he mumbled. He felt for Rhys’ hand, noticing the hair on his forearms was coarser than usual. Vaughn let the thought drift through his head for a few moments before his eyes flew open in horror.

“Gah! Get off me!” he shrieked in Jack's sleeping face, trying and failing to wriggle out of his grasp.

“The fuck…” The other man jerked awake, his eyes unfocussed. As soon as Jack put the pieces together, he recoiled in disgust. “The _fuck!”_

“You goddamn creep -”

“Ohoho, I knew you wanted -”

“Put your hands on me again and I'll -”

“Rhys!” yelled Jack. “Where the hell are you?”

The man in question appeared in the doorway, looking flustered with his jacket half-on and a suitcase in tow. “What do you want?” he said irritably. “I haven't got time for this, I need to get to the Fast Travel in half an hour.”

The other two went silent.

“What?” said Vaughn in a little voice.

“My business call? Remember?” Rhys sighed. “Look, I need to meet these people in person and I managed to get a spot at the conference everyone is at.”

“By yourself?” Jack asked doubtfully.

“Well, I'm not taking you out in public, and I'm not leaving you here by yourself, so yes. By myself,” he snapped. “Also, I got further with one arm on this planet than most people do with two, so maybe keep that in mind.”

Vaughn had never seen Jack look chastised. He would probably have enjoyed it more if not for the realisation that sank in at the same time.

“Rhys, you can't leave me with him,” he gasped. “We'll kill each other.”

Jack leered at him, one eyebrow raised. “Aw, c'mon. It'll be fun, sweetheart. All that time to get to know each other…”

“It's a big compound, and you're big boys. You'll figure it out.” Rhys slipped into his other sleeve, and then he was gone.


	7. Conference Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Vaughn attempt to get along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took ages to get right but we're pretty happy with the results.

It started out fine.

Vaughn threw himself into his work after the healthiest breakfast he'd had in days, not even bothered by the fact his beloved cat had chosen to curl up on Jack's lap all morning: it kept Jack in one place, and without Rhys around to indulge his need for attention, he grudgingly decided to make himself useful.

Jack looked like a whole other person when he worked, resting his chin on one hand and tapping at the keys with the other, brow furrowed in deep concentration. Vaughn was almost prepared to call him tolerable. After all, he had done plenty of hard work in addition to the senseless murder to become the CEO of Hyperion, and Vaughn could respect that.

“Take a photo. It’ll last longer,” Jack said without looking up.

“I wasn't…” Vaughn started, but thought better of it. “Never mind.”

Thankfully there was no argument, but the corner of Jack's mouth twitched in amusement.

Rhys had sent a quick group message to let them know he’d arrived and inform them he’d be unavailable for most of the day, so they’d have to be on their best behaviour, and get some work done on the products he’d be trying to subtly promote. Jack took that as his cue to dump obscene photos he pulled from the ECHOnet into the chat, but they’d garnered no response. Vaughn pretended not to notice them, but to his dismay the chat ticked them off as read as soon as his morbid curiosity won out and he heard Jack snicker from the other side of the office.

“What is wrong with you?” he said, recoiling from a particularly lurid image.

“Just letting our little princess know that I miss him.”

Vaughn mimed throwing up. “Try using your words next time.”

“Maybe I will. I know a _lot_ of words for boner.”

Still, it wasn’t much worse than an average day back at Hyperion. Jack continued to prove himself surprisingly capable in the kitchen, and the few insults they traded over dinner took on an almost companionable character.

“Guess you're an asset to the company after all,” said Vaughn, one eyebrow raised.

“I'm good at lots of things, sunshine. Just ask your pal. I'll even give ya a free trial.”

“Ugh. I don't know why I even bother talking to you.”

“Neither do I, but it's adorable to watch.”

The first cracks started to appear the next day, when Vaughn woke up to find his bedroom door locked.

The hand scanner flashed back at him with a very unhelpful 'DENIED' and a crudely scribbled penis when he tried again. With a sigh he grabbed his comm and logged onto the system.

The block was simple, more set up to annoy him than actually trap him for long, and he was grateful to the late nights spent in college helping Rhys test his plans for his mini Hack-a-thons. It was only a few minutes before the door would recognize him again and then he took a few minutes more to increase security levels further. He wasn’t confident he could keep Jack out, but hopefully it would slow him down until he could ask Rhys to take a look at it - or at least pull his door from the network and wire up a taser to it.

By the time he finished in the shower, where all the hot water was already gone, and grabbed something to eat, Jack was back at his desk where he’d left him last night.

“Was that really necessary?” he asked.

“Just wanted to make sure I had the shower to myself,” Jack said innocently.

“Right, because you're such a modest guy. You could try locking the bathroom door like a normal person.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Jack went back to his toast, flicking the crumbs as far and wide as possible.

“I don't know how anyone tolerates you,” muttered Vaughn, taking a seat at his own desk.

“Eh, you get away with a lot when you've got a face like mine,” said Jack. “And a dick like mine. Your buddy certainly _tolerates_ me fine.”

Vaughn’s mouth twitched. “I'm sure Rhys is mingling with some very talented people right now. He might not need your services any more.” He hoped it wasn't true and he knew he probably shouldn't have said it if he wanted to sleep with both eyes closed, but the look on Jack's face was entirely worth it.

“Oh, please. Look at you, and look at me. You think I'm the one in trouble, poindexter?” He stood up, angling himself so his shadow fell over Vaughn.

“Careful, old man. You're gonna break a hip.”

When the alarms went off, it was almost a relief. Vaughn grabbed his comm to see what the problem was but Jack was already in the system. “Shit. Shields are down and we’ve got skags coming in the west lab,” he muttered. “Looks like Rhysie didn’t do such a great job fixing his little modification from last time.”

Vaughn was instantly on his feet, punching a code into a weapons locker and pulling out his battered shotgun and leather jacket. “And whose fault is that?”

“While I admit to being very distracting, it was never my idea in the first place, so, his?” said Jack with a nonchalant shrug. “Or maybe yours, for making him go to that length?”

“Listen, you -”

The alarm switched to a louder, more urgent tone. They looked at each other.

“I can get the shields back up, but it’s gonna take a while. Security's more of a bitch now,” said Jack. “Why do you have to be so goddamn paranoid over a little prank?”

Vaughn ignored him. “There's a console in the lab. It'll be easier from the local circuit.”

“Then give me a gun,” he said.

“Hell no,” Vaughn snapped. “I’ll cover you. Come on.”

The lab wasn’t quite in shambles when they got there, besides the opening in the previously collapsed wall where the skags had gotten in. They seemed unsure what to do with their new territory, sniffing intently at everything in sight. A collection of overturned chairs proved enough of a distraction for Vaughn to take out the first couple before their arrival was noticed. Jack moved to the console and quickly had the loud, obnoxious alarm off, preventing any newcomers from being drawn towards the battle from the outside. The shield wall would take a bit longer.

“How long?” yelled Vaughn.

Jack’s hands flew across the holographic keyboard, searching for the fastest way to reroute power. “Two minutes!”

Vaughn weaved across the floor to slide in behind a lab bench. “You sure?” He reloaded, tossing the empty magazine towards the far wall in a bid to draw the skags into the open.

“Hey, you do your job, I'll do mine!”

He sprang up to look over the bench, firing off a couple of shots that found their mark. The skag stumbled, roaring in pain and rage. “Damn it,” he hissed. Three left. Too far away. Glancing at Jack, he saw him still working frantically with his head down. Something in the depths of the facility hummed to life.

He vaulted over his cover, taking out the injured one in a final blast - another one came skidding over from his right, and he landed a lucky shot right in its mouth.

“How we doing?” he called, hastily wiping the blood off his face.

“Seventy percent,” crowed Jack. “Nice work out there, Tiny!”

Vaughn heard the skittering of claws and whipped around, brandishing the gun. The sound continued, a flash of spines at the edge of his vision -

A massive weight slammed into his side, taking him to the ground hard enough to make him see stars. He swung blindly with the butt of his weapon, only for the alpha skag to clamp its jaws around the metal and tear it out of his hands. It flung the gun aside before looking down curiously at its prey. The alpha had him pinned down, its jaws wide, tongue lolling just inches from his face. Vaughn threw his hands up, closing his eyes -

A loud bang ripped through the air.

“Nobody rips his head off but me, you spiky dickhole,” sneered Jack, shoving the corpse aside with one foot before raising the weapon to his shoulder, striking a pose straight out of his Hyperion posters.

Vaughn stared up at him in a daze. He was outlined in the blue light of the shield, looking undeniably heroic. “You're not supposed to have a gun,” he mumbled at last.

Jack rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you're welcome, ya little shit.” He knelt down next to Vaughn, scanning him for damage. “Good news, I think only about ten percent of this blood's yours. You hurt?”

“I've had worse.” Gingerly patting down his ribs, Vaughn sucked in a deep breath as he found a massive bruise.

“C’mon, you midget psycho. Let's get you out of here. That was the last of them.” Ignoring his half-hearted protests, Jack hoisted one of his arms over his shoulders and hauled him to his feet. The angle was awkward, and Jack switched to looping Vaughn's arm around his waist, letting him carry the shotgun.

“You're getting soft in your old age,” grunted Vaughn.

“What? I couldn't let you die. Rhysie would never let me tap that ass again.”

He laughed, then winced at the pain in his chest. “I hate you so much.”

“Me too, Muscles. But you're a badass, I'll give you that. And that's a _real_ sexy jacket.”

They limped into the medbay. Vaughn eased himself up onto the examination table while Jack rifled through drawers, pulling out a health hypo and tossing it to him.

“Tell me where it hurts,” simpered Jack.

Vaughn half-smiled despite himself, shrugging off his jacket and rolling up a sleeve. “You'd make a shitty nurse.” He hated needles with a passion, but he would rather jab himself a hundred times than admit it to Jack, and the painkillers did a great job of helping him get over it.

“Can't have a gun, can't play doctor. What fun are you?” Jack dropped heavily onto a chair and propped his feet up next to Vaughn. “You're like the world's lamest babysitter.”

“I dunno, almost getting killed was pretty exciting,” Vaughn said sarcastically.

“Eh, I've been dead. It's overrated, and boring.”

He wasn’t sure how to respond; at last, he just sighed. “Thanks for saving me. For whatever reason.”

Jack looked at him in an almost pitying way. “Because I like you, pal. Enough to prefer you alive at least. Is that so hard to believe?”

“Yeah.” He folded his arms. “It is. Because you're a colossal jerk.”

“And _you're_ a tiny, pathetic little nerd who stupidly thinks he can compare to me in any way.”

Vaughn felt a rush of anger, clenching his fists and dropping down to the floor. Whatever was in that hypo was clearly making him lightheaded. “The only reason you’re alive is because it makes Rhys happy. Don’t forget that,” he said. “Because the second I get an excuse, I’ll kill you.”

“Oh, I would _love_ to see you try,” Jack replied, spreading out in the chair and smirking. “It’d be so cute.”

Vaughn snatched up the gun and levelled the muzzle just a few inches in front of Jack’s chest. “Be a shame if my finger slipped,” he murmured. “I’m sure Rhys would forgive me with enough ice cream.”

A momentary expression of surprise flitted across Jack’s face, but then his lips curled into a devious smile. He stood up slowly, pushing the chair back out of the way; then he reached for the barrel, eyes locked on Vaughn’s the whole time.

“Kinda Freudian, don’t you think?” He wrapped his fingers around the metal, stroking it, loving and deliberate. There was no mistaking the little hitch in Vaughn’s breathing, or the way his eyes widened. “What do you say we put our differences aside for a while, and focus on the fact we're two hot guys with a lot of weird pent-up energy?”

Jack guided the gun aside. Vaughn let him. They both looked down.

“We need to call Rhys,” said Vaughn, his voice shaking. “Right now.”

\---

Jack managed to prop the screen up by the headboard, looking out over the bed in Rhys’ room, just as the call connected.

“Rhysie. Pumpkin. Baby,” he purred.

“For fuck’s - what's wrong? It's barely been two days,” answered an exhausted, annoyed voice. “I have twelve hours of meetings tomorrow, and if you think -”

“Nothing's wrong, bro,” said Vaughn.

There was a pause. “Vaughn? Is that you?” Rhys asked.

“Yeah, it's him. Tell me, you alone or what? You better not be screwing around over there.”

“Please, I came here to give my ass a _break._ I'm in my motel room,” he answered tersely. “Jack, what the hell is going on?”

The video connection went live. Rhys’ face appeared on the screen, going from confused to intrigued in a matter of seconds as he laid eyes on Jack's naked body, and Vaughn behind him stripping off his shirt.

“Your little pal and I have decided to try working off some tension since our favourite stress ball is away. Thought you might wanna watch.”

“Th - things going well, then?” said Rhys, his mouth dry.

“Worse than you can imagine,” growled Vaughn. The others both stared openly at his exposed chest, Jack sauntering over to palm at the bulge in his underwear before tugging at the waistband. Rhys let out a loud exhale.

“I always knew you couldn't resist me,” said Jack, just loud enough for Rhys to hear. His other hand rested lightly at the base of Vaughn's throat, fingertips twitching. “Gonna fuck you so hard you forget your name.”

Vaughn lifted his chin to look Jack in the eye, smiling without mirth as he kicked his last layer of clothing aside. “In your dreams, asshole.”

He slammed the heel of his left palm into the dead centre of Jack's chest, forcing all the air out of him, watching his eyes widen in shock a half-second before he tackled him down onto the bed.

“You little freak,” hissed Jack as Vaughn moved to straddle his hips.

“Shut the hell up.” Vaughn took both of their cocks in one hand, stretching his fingers out to get a firm grip, grinding against Jack just enough to make him groan out loud. A satisfied smirk spread across Vaughn’s face.

“Wow. Okay, this is officially the hottest thing I've ever seen,” said Rhys, biting his lip and shifting in his seat.

As Vaughn started to run his hand over the heated skin, Jack tipped his head back until he could see the screen. “Wish you were here, cupcake.”

Rhys was starting to unbutton his shirt at the collar. “Fuck,” he breathed. “Just imagined having both of you inside me…”

They froze, panting.

“Shit, baby.” Jack’s voice was full of genuine awe. “You're gonna kill me one of these days.”

“Eyes on me,” Vaughn ordered, squeezing the other man's cock a little harder than necessary. “If we're doing this you don't get to play pretend.” He forced the image of a writhing, moaning Rhys out of his mind to focus on the man beneath him. Jack was _unfairly_ attractive - never more so than when he was being put in his place.

There was a deadly fire in Jack's eyes even as he thrust his hips up to rock against Vaughn. “Filthy bandit,” he growled through gritted teeth.

“Psychopath,” Vaughn snapped back, moving his hand faster. It was difficult to keep his grip on both of them at their size, but he was determined to win, to put on a show. The friction between them was driving him crazy, and he could see from Jack's face that it was having the same effect on him.

“Wishing you'd jumped me earlier, huh?” Jack's voice was strained, his smirk less acidic than usual.

“Don't flatter yourself,” said Vaughn. “I'm doing all the fucking work here.”

One of Jack's massive hands suddenly clamped over Vaughn's, the extra pressure making him cry out. “Happy now?”

“Shit, Jack,” he choked out.

Over on the screen, Rhys was watching, completely transfixed. They couldn't see below his neck, but Vaughn knew from the look in his eyes that he was definitely appreciating the view.

“I've been waiting…” Jack trailed off, all his attention on his hand as he jerked them both off. “Waiting for you...to submit.”

“Never.” Vaughn's breath was coming in short gasps, his hips bucking subconsciously against Jack's. “I'll never...fucking...submit to you.”

A strangely warm, blissful smile spread across Jack's face.

“I think I like that about you, Vaughn.”

Jack stopped holding back then, taking over the motion of their hands and dragging them both towards the edge, spurred on by Rhys’ filthy whispered encouragements. Vaughn leaned over him, panting hard, almost overwhelmed by the pace but holding on as he watched Jack fight to keep control.

“You gonna come for us, Jack?” said Rhys in a husky voice.

Vaughn felt the older man tense under him.

“Shit -” Jack's powerful strokes faltered and he thrust upwards into their hands one last time before coming hard, heat spilling over his stomach as a choked moan fell from his mouth.

Vaughn glanced at the screen, catching Rhys’ eye and seeing his sly grin for just a moment before he followed with a loud cry of his own, his orgasm intensified by the savage pleasure of having Jack completely fall apart beneath him.

They stayed like that for what felt like forever, Jack staring at the ceiling while Vaughn kept his eyes on Jack's chest.

“Fuck,” he exhaled. He shifted his weight, glancing over to the tissues on the nightstand. Jack barely acknowledged him, wiping at himself with both hands - and when Vaughn finally managed to tear himself away, standing up on sore, tired legs, he felt something very deliberately petting his hair.

“Oh, what the…” He reached up to touch it, his fingers coming away wet. “God damn it, you prick!”

Jack snickered while Rhys tried his best to look disapproving. He rolled off the bed, stretching to his full height over a fuming Vaughn before firing his finger guns at the screen.

“Night, baby. We miss ya. Get your ass home soon, okay?” He strolled out without a care in the world, after wiggling his ass suggestively at the camera, leaving the other two in silence.

“I don't know how you can stand him,” said Vaughn. “Please come home, bro.”

Rhys just shrugged apologetically. “Thanks for the show. Don't know how I'm gonna sleep tonight.” He leaned forward suddenly, squinting at Vaughn's forehead. “Is that...is that blood?”

“We had some skag trouble earlier.” Vaughn bit his tongue before he could bring up exactly what caused it.

Rhys raised an eyebrow. “You guys were killing stuff and got all horny, is that what happened?” he said incredulously.

“I…” His mouth snapped shut. “Just come home, okay? We need you here.” He held up a fist to the screen and Rhys did the same, and then they disconnected.

Just then, Jack poked his head around the door.

“Hey, just so you know, I’m pretty sure Scraps puked in your bed.”


	8. Three's Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys returns to Atlas and receives a warm welcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Atlas 2.0 is the only company that is hornier than Hyperion. They do actual work sometimes, we swear.

Rhys dropped his case where he stood in the atrium at the sight of a familiar face.

“Vaughn!”

His best friend looked up, face splitting into an ecstatic grin as he came sprinting over to envelop Rhys in a tight hug. Rhys felt himself being lifted off the ground and swung around like he weighed almost nothing, and he laughed with delight.

“Bro, I was only gone for three days,” he said.

“Felt like three hundred,” said Vaughn before taking his face in both hands and kissing him on the forehead.

“Alright, move over. My turn,” said another voice right next to him. Jack grabbed Rhys’ tie, pulling him aside. “Don't ever say I can't be romantic,” he said, and Rhys let out a muffled sound of surprise as Jack yanked him in for a searing kiss of his own. He was sure now that Jack had never kissed him before; he'd have remembered feeling weak at the knees as Jack's tongue snaked past his lips. Rhys melted against his body, sighing contentedly.

“How ‘bout you, Ironabs?” said Jack at last, pulling back only an inch or so, his eyes still on Rhys’.

“Fuck off,” Vaughn snapped.

“He breaks my heart every time,” he lamented. “Anyway, pumpkin, you stink of cheap cologne. Sure you weren't screwing around?”

Rhys straightened up and began to prise Jack's fingers off his tie, smoothing his hair back down. “Actually, I turned down every offer, not that it's any of your business.” He sounded both smug and irritated.

“So there _were_ offers,” Jack snarled. “Who were they?”

“Everyone.”

Vaughn placed a hand on Rhys’ shoulder. “Don't encourage him. He's been like this the whole time,” he said. “Between you and me, he's a little insecure.”

“That's enough out of you, shortcake.” Jack's hands moved to fumble impatiently with the buttons of Rhys’ shirt.

“Hey, whoa.” He swatted him away. “I just got back. I need to unpack -”

“Later.”

“And I want a nap,” Rhys said firmly. “And something to eat that isn't a stale sandwich.” He picked up the handle of his case and weaved around the two of them, heading for his room.

“Unbelievable,” said Jack, shaking his head.

Vaughn rolled his eyes. “Yeah, a CEO ordering people around. Imagine that.”

“It's kinda hot.”

“You know what?” he said thoughtfully. “For once, I think you might be right.”

\---

“He needs butter,” Jack insisted as he watched over Vaughn's shoulder. “He's probably starving. They never feed you real food at those conventions. It’s how they run them so cheap.”

“What he _needs_ is some decent protein.” Vaughn cracked another egg into the bowl, careful not to let the yolk fall in. “Whenever you cook, I have to spend an extra half hour in the gym.”

“You're just scared of your food tasting like something,” said Jack.

“And you’re getting soft around the middle.” He started to cut the mushrooms into precise, even slices. “You've had that body for like, a week, and you're already wrecking it.”

“Hey, I'm enjoying this body. And you are too.” Jack leaned over him, placing a hand either side of him on the counter. Vaughn said nothing, but flashed the blade of the knife in the air for a moment before continuing to dissect the ingredients. “Ohoho, feisty as always! So you're up for the whole threesome thing, right?”

“And watch you treat him like dirt?” muttered Vaughn. He stabbed the tip of the knife into the chopping board, where it wobbled precariously, and turned around to glare at the other man.

Jack shrugged. “Maybe you'll learn something. Besides, Rhysie seems keen. You heard him the other night.”

In fact, the thought had been at the forefront of every one of Vaughn's dreams overnight, not that he wanted to admit it.

“Of course, if you're not up for a little friendly competition…” Jack trailed off.

“I'm up for whatever Rhys wants,” he said coolly, though in the back of his mind he was starting to be concerned that such a category might include things that were highly dangerous or physically impossible. “Pass the skillet.”

Neither one of them wanted to risk the other taking all the credit, so they ended up marching side by side to Rhys’ door. Vaughn was about to knock when Jack simply slapped a hand onto the scanner.

“Rude,” whispered Vaughn.

“Efficient,” answered Jack. It turned out he was probably right; Rhys had fallen asleep before even getting fully undressed, and he was sprawled out over his bed, completely unconscious. At the centre of his chest where he'd managed to undo a few buttons, Scraps was curled up on his bare skin.

“Aww. She missed him too.” Vaughn smiled, but it faded quickly into a puzzled frown. “Wait, how'd she get in? Rhys hates cats.”

Jack walked over and gave her a little scratch between the ears. “My girl goes where she wants.”

“You hacked an access-all-areas pass for the cat?”

“See, this is why she likes me more.”

Rhys was beginning to stir. Scraps fluffed up her fur in annoyance, batting at his chin with both front paws; startled, he tried to sit up, which caused her to leap aside and glare at him from the nightstand.

“Why couldn't it have been a dog?” he mumbled. “Finding a dog would've been nice.”

“Dogs ain't smart enough for Pandora, kiddo.” Jack lowered his shoulder for the cat to climb onto him while Vaughn set the tray of food down on Rhys’ lap. “Cheer up, we've brought you something to eat. For the record, I suggested waffles.”

If Rhys was disappointed by his omelette and low-fat drakefruit smoothie, he didn't show it. “Man, it’s good to be home,” he said as he picked up the fork. “You guys are the best. So glad you didn't kill each other.”

Jack slung an arm around Vaughn, pulling him in tight against his side even as he struggled. “You better watch out. Bros for life, right here.”

Rhys looked up at them with a sly grin. “Actually, I'd been hoping you two would get over yourselves.”

“Oh, really now?” Vaughn said flatly.

“Yes. This company’s in a critical phase right now, and we can’t expect to accomplish anything with you sabotaging one another all the time.” He cut away a piece of the omelette and took a leisurely bite. “Now I can put off hiring an HR team.”

“Um, are we not gonna talk about the whole phone sex thing, or -”

“Anyway,” interrupted Rhys, “thanks for breakfast in bed. I’ll see you guys later, alright? And take the cat with you. She steals food.” He waved them away dismissively with the back of his hand; Jack sputtered in disbelief and Vaughn had to haul him out of the room by the arm. The lock engaged, a tiny red light indicating it was in manual override mode.

“That - that little _brat!”_ exclaimed Jack. “Who does he think he is?”

“The CEO?” Vaughn suggested helpfully, his own confusion just slightly outweighed by his amusement at Jack’s bewilderment.

“Bullshit. I was a CEO, and I never kicked a sure thing out of my room.”

Scraps looked for a way down, grudgingly accepting Vaughn's offer of a lift.

“That's because you’re a whore, Jack,” he said matter-of-factly.

“If that's what you want to call the galaxy's number one eligible bachelor, sure.”

Vaughn rolled his eyes and loaded up the old sales history documents on his glasses, data scrolling past at a rate that nobody else could ever hope to read. The cat circled around his ankles as he made his way to his desk and switched on his monitor.

“You're just gonna work?”

“He said it. Critical phase. And I don't want him to think I was screwing you the whole time he was gone.”

Jack slumped into a chair, scowling at Scraps who stared back insolently from her perch on Vaughn's feet while the man continued to ignore him. The only thing that eventually calmed him down was thinking about guns. He chewed on the end of a pencil as he pondered the blueprint in front of him. Hyperion's stabilisers had been a work of art, but the weird balance they gave sniper rifles with a full magazine had always bugged him; the first shot was _so_ important, and hitting the head too soon had spoiled his fun more than once. He scribbled down a few calculations, trying to dig a little deeper...

“I'd like everyone's attention.”

Both of them looked up as Rhys entered the room, and an awed silence fell. He looked like he'd just stepped out of the shower, his hair falling in loose, tousled waves. He was wearing a silk dressing gown in Atlas black and gold that came down to mid-thigh; Jack recognised the design as one he'd programmed into the Quick-Change machine for his own use, but he had to admit it looked even better on Rhys.

Rhys leaned against the desk they were sharing, letting the hem of his gown ride up to expose more of his long, slim legs. He could feel their hungry eyes roaming over his bare skin; it made him feel wanted, adored - powerful.

“Staff meeting in the employee lounge,” he said, flashing a cool glance down at Vaughn and then Jack. “Attendance is mandatory.” Standing up, he dusted off both shoulders and swept out of the room without waiting for a reply. The two men looked at each other in a silent exchange - then they rose from their seats, following as if they were being reeled in.

“You ready, short stuff?” Jack muttered from the corner of his mouth. His eyes glittered with anticipation and he was already stripping his clothes off as he walked.

Vaughn raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I'm _fully_ committed to this company.”

Rhys was waiting for them on the makeshift bed, sitting with his legs artfully arranged to the side, a sliver of his tattoo visible where the gown fell open.

“Do you know why I called you in here, gentlemen?” His voice was low and serious, but he couldn’t quite hide his excited grin.

“You must be mistaken,” Jack said easily. “I am _far_ from a gentleman.”

Vaughn was almost impressed. He'd expected something far more crude out of him. “What can we do for you?” he asked, meeting Rhys’ eyes.

“You're a little overdressed, bro. Let's start there.” Rhys rose slowly from his seat and slunk over to him, slipping the fingertips of his left hand under the waistband of Vaughn's loose pants and tugging downwards. At the same time his metal hand traced along Vaughn's jawline, thumb parting his lips before Rhys leaned in to kiss him.

It started slow but soon became insistent, only breaking for Vaughn to pull his shirt over his head. Rhys’ hands went straight to his chest, wandering over the hard planes of his muscles in fascination.

He felt a powerful arm wrap around his waist and teeth nipping warningly at his earlobe. “I don't like being ignored, princess,” Jack murmured. He whipped the sash from the gown with his free hand, tossing it aside.

“What's the rush?” Rhys said sweetly, sharing a private smile with Vaughn.

“Don't act cute. I know you're dying to get fucked.” Jack moved to caress his thigh before grabbing his ass a little harder than necessary. He let out a little whimper. “So how do you want this, huh?”

Rhys extricated himself from between the two of them, sizing them up and admiring what he saw. They were both down to their underwear and clearly eager to start.

“You already know. I want both of you.”

“Ah…” said Jack. “Baby, I admire your ambition, but I don't think you’re ready for that.”

“What makes you so sure?” he said defiantly.

“Juuuust trust me.”

Vaughn looked more relieved than anything. “Yeah, we're not really at that level of cooperation yet. You'd just get hurt.”

Rhys pouted, crossing his arms. “Okay, fine.” Then his face brightened, and he added, “But I get to watch you make out.”

The other two glanced at each other. Jack's expression was one of barely restrained smugness; Vaughn glared back at him, wary.

“C’mon. You know you're curious,” said Jack.

“Let the record state that I despise you,” Vaughn replied, steeling himself.

He came closer - too close, the heat radiating off him as he lifted Vaughn's chin, gazing down into his eyes. “That's what makes it fun.”

Without warning Jack shoved him back into the pile of cushions and was on top of him in a split second. Vaughn threw up both hands to defend himself, but Jack was too fast and caught him by the wrists, slamming them down above his head. He twisted in Jack's grip but couldn't break free, unable to buck him off as he used his superior height to hover over him.

“You look good like this,” Jack purred, their faces inches apart. “You'd look even better with my hands around your throat, but we'll build up to that.”

“Fuck you, Jack,” he said.

“Ah, but this isn't about me, sweetheart. Do it for Rhysie.”

Vaughn looked up at Rhys who was watching as if hypnotised, biting his lip and letting the gown fall from his shoulders, his hand ghosting over his erect cock through the silk. He definitely wasn't wearing anything underneath.

“Fine,” growled Vaughn, and he closed the distance between them. Jack was almost taken by surprise but soon fought back, thrilled by the challenge to his dominance and refusing to lose. He leaned forward to press his body to Vaughn's, sliding one thigh up to grind against his hard cock, gratified by the choked-off moan he earned in response.

When Vaughn bit him hard enough to draw blood, he pulled back in shock, barely even feeling the pain.

“You bastard,” he breathed, sounding impressed rather than angry.

“Hey. Play nice, you two,” Rhys said, amused. “There's plenty of me to go around.”

Jack let go of Vaughn with one hand, pressing the back of it against his mouth. “Sorry, kitten. Got a little distracted. But now that you mention it…” He sat back, keeping a struggling Vaughn pinned down by the legs. “How ‘bout you blow him while I fuck your sweet little ass?”

Rhys’ eyes widened. “Oh, um. That could work. As long as you guys don't high five over my head or something. I hate that.”

Vaughn looked scandalised beyond belief; Jack just raised an eyebrow. “And he called _me_ a whore,” he muttered. At last he climbed off, leaving the other man to sit up and rub at his legs until the circulation came back. He stepped out of his briefs and fired them at Rhys like a rubber band, missing narrowly.

“Lube?”

“Here.” Rhys fished it out of his pocket and handed it over before ditching the gown entirely. He trailed a metal finger down the length of his erect cock, shivering.

“Get started, cupcake. Hands and knees.”

He dropped to sit by Vaughn's side, nuzzling his ear. “You good?”

“Yeah.”

“It was pretty hot when you bit him,” Rhys whispered, reaching down to help him take off his last layer.

The colour rose in Vaughn’s cheeks. “I know.”

“You can bite me too if you want,” he said, looking up through his long, dark eyelashes.

“Ah...heh.”

“Get on with it,” Jack's voice boomed.

Sharing a little conspiratorial roll of the eyes with his best friend, Rhys positioned himself between Vaughn's legs, gently pushing his thighs further apart. His cock jutted upwards, thick and ready and waiting for attention; though he would never admit it, Rhys was grateful that Jack had advised against taking them both.

He waited until he felt Jack's hands on him before leaning in to mouth at the underside of Vaughn's cock. He hadn't done anything like this since college, but his body remembered the want, the desire to be filled completely, to give pleasure and receive so much more. He shivered. The events of the last week had far exceeded his expectations.

One of Jack's slicked-up fingers was pressed against him; the man was always too impatient to spend much time teasing. Rhys would have to teach him a few things. For now, though, he welcomed the feeling of it sliding into him, just as good as he remembered. He responded by sucking lightly at the head of Vaughn's cock, smiling to himself at the little gasp and the hand stroking his hair.

“I think this might be your best angle, Rhysie,” Jack teased, adding a second finger. Rhys tensed up for a moment: he hadn't been expecting it so soon, but as he closed his eyes and concentrated on Vaughn, he could feel himself relaxing under Jack's touch. For all of Jack's glaring faults, he always knew exactly what Rhys needed and how to make him want more. Rhys hummed in pleasure, sending vibrations along the cock in his mouth, and Vaughn shuddered.

Vaughn was letting him have full control, and he was making the most of it, using all the fun little techniques that were wasted on Jack. Rhys wrapped his left hand around the base, stroking slowly; meanwhile, he alternated between drawing lazy circles with his tongue and taking the first few inches into his hot, wet mouth, dragging his lips over the skin every time he pulled back. Teasing Vaughn was endlessly rewarding; unlike Rhys, he was shy about the sounds he made, trying to hold back every moan - but Rhys was skilled enough to break his composure.

“Oh, _fuck…_ ” he whined, throwing his head back.

At the same time, Rhys was pushing himself back against Jack's slick fingers, willing them to go deeper. He heard a dark chuckle from behind him; the fingers withdrew, leaving him feeling empty for just a moment until Jack's cock slid over his entrance. He tried to grind back against it, desperate for contact.

A hand came down hard on his ass. The stinging pain a split second later made him cry out, the sound muffled by the thick weight in his mouth. Rhys came up for air and threw an angry glance back over his shoulder.

Jack smirked. “Ask nicely.”

He gritted his teeth, but Jack just waited, cock in hand as he ran the tip over Rhys’ hole.

“Fuck me,” Rhys hissed. “C'mon, you want this as much as I do.”

“You can do much better than that, baby.”

He bit his tongue in frustration. “Please fuck me, Jack. I need you.”

“Hmm. Not bad.” The man's eyes flicked over to meet Vaughn's nervous gaze, holding him captive. “What do you say, sunshine?”

“I...what?”

“Should I let our pretty little CEO have what he wants?”

Vaughn’s eyes widened. He looked down at Rhys’ pleading expression and gave a tiny nod.

“Say it out loud,” Jack growled.

His mouth was dry as he fought to form the words, trying to find something he could say without stumbling - how could he let Jack win like this, even if his pleasure depended on it, even if Rhys wanted -

The hand around his cock squeezed just a little bit harder, and he closed his eyes.

“Do it, Jack,” Vaughn choked out. “Fuck him.”

“I’m not hearing ‘please’.”

“Go to hell.”

Jack just smiled and lined up the blunt head of his cock against Rhys’ entrance. “Ah, you two are classic. C'mon, princess, get back to sucking.”

Rhys wrapped his lips around Vaughn's length and took it deep into his mouth, just in time to moan around it as Jack's cock sank into him.

This was heaven, being filled so completely and hearing just what it was doing to the others. Every slow thrust into him was driving him crazy, just on the edge of being too much to take - Jack's cock was one of the largest he’d ever had, and it hit all his nerves in just the right way to make him want to scream. Jack didn't even need to touch him to bring him close to the edge. Rhys hadn't known until now how much he liked the sensation of being gagged while someone fucked him, whimpering wordlessly in response to the pure stimulation inside him.

Every sound he made went straight to Vaughn’s core. Vaughn couldn't escape the fact that what he was doing felt so dirty, so forbidden, having Rhys’ perfect mouth lavish attention on his cock while Jack all but used him. He grabbed helplessly at the pillows around him, calling his best friend's name, and when he caught Jack's heated gaze he couldn't hold back from letting out a tortured whisper of his own.

“So good…”

“Isn't he?” murmured Jack. His hands gripped Rhys’ hips tightly as he thrust deep into him, working only for his own pleasure but having all the right effects.

Vaughn closed his eyes, unable to think beyond the tongue and the fingers wrapped around him. “Shit, I'm close,” he said weakly.

“You're doing well. I'm impressed.” Jack's voice was low and seductive and just a little bit dangerous. “You wanna come?”

“Y - yeah…”

Somewhere behind the pounding of his pulse in his ears, he heard another slap against Rhys’ ass, and then, “Don't let him, baby.”

All he could do was watch, groaning desperately at the loss of contact as Rhys raised his head. Rhys’ eyes were unfocussed, his lips red and swollen, but there was something blissful in his expression. Vaughn felt a surge of frustration, and before he could think he'd seized a handful of Rhys’ hair, not letting him go any further.

The sound he heard was _not_ a cry of pain. Rhys flashed a wild grin at him, panting hard, and the guilt and arousal combined into something that dragged him right to the edge.

“Please, bro,” Vaughn begged. “Please let me…”

The words disappeared into a loud, shuddering moan as Rhys took him all the way to the hilt, and Vaughn came hard into his warm, waiting mouth, the overwhelming sensation radiating through his body. He collapsed backwards onto the makeshift bed, feeling like he was floating with all his senses muted by the rush. Somewhere in the distance he was dimly aware of Rhys pulling away, and of letting him go with whispered words of praise.

Rhys swallowed the hot, bitter taste with pride, already on the verge of his own orgasm, and his left hand flew to his cock to stroke himself in time with Jack's rough thrusts. He still held on for a few moments - right until Jack hit the perfect spot deep inside him, and he doubled over, his scream muffled by the sheets as the feeling of release flooded through him. Jack kept up his pace right to the end, digging his fingers into old bruises as he ground to a halt, groaning in pure satisfaction.

They stayed like that until Rhys regained enough of his senses to nudge Jack away, rolling onto his back and letting out a contented sigh.

“Holy shit. We just did that.” He giggled to himself, a little hysterical. None of his lofty dreams of running a company had included anything like it.

Vaughn shuffled down to lie beside him, patting down Rhys’ hair where it still stuck up in tufts. “I was gonna apologise for hurting you, but I think you were okay with...y'know.”

“Oh, yeah. Add that to the list of things you can totally do.” Rhys offered his friend a warm smile.

“Uh, you've still got a little -”

“I'll take care of that,” Jack said smoothly, holding him by the chin and running the tip of his tongue along Rhys’ lower lip. It tickled, and Rhys squealed as he tried to get away; Vaughn’s jaw dropped and he blushed madly as Jack looked him directly in the eye, winking.

“Meeting adjourned,” said Jack carelessly.

“Hey, you don't get to decide that,” Rhys replied, pouting.

“Baby, there is no way you're going for round two.”

Nestled between the two of them, cozy and warm, Rhys felt his eyelids starting to droop. “Then in my official capacity as CEO, I'm declaring that we're not doing any more work until tomorrow afternoon. At which point we do need to have a real project meeting,” he mumbled. Someone was wrapping an arm around him and someone was caressing his shoulder, and he didn't care who. Everything was perfect.


	9. The Secret Ingredient

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack reveals a hidden talent, and everyone learns the true meaning of friendship. Again.

Vaughn thought he was dreaming that the facility was on fire, but he still smelled burning when he woke up. No alarms were going off though, and before he could really start to panic he recognised an undertone to the smoke that was vaguely like chocolate. He frowned and slipped out from under the covers, draping his shirt over his shoulders, and headed for the kitchen.

The smoky smell was getting stronger, and he could hear a string of increasingly frustrated curses in Jack's voice, accompanied by Rhys’ awkward attempts to calm him down. When he entered the room, they were both hunched over a tray, fanning it with their hands.

“What...are you doing?” he asked.

“I just wanted some goddamn brownies,” said Jack, on the verge of hysteria. “Stupid-ass Fahrenheit scale. Atlas never could do anything right.”

Vaughn stifled a laugh. “Didn't have you pegged as a dessert guy.”

“Go easy on him,” Rhys said reproachfully. “He's going through some stuff.”

“Wooow. That must be _terrible_.”

Jack dug a spoonful of burnt brownie from the middle of the pan, blowing on it frantically to cool it down. All hope faded from his face as he tasted the results. “Why is this happening to me?” he groaned. “I should be dead.”

Rhys shot a warning look at Vaughn before he could express his agreement.

“First it was that weirdo Nakatomi, and now _you've_ brought me back just to be your sex slave!” He didn't look at either of them, scouring the fridge in despair.

“You weren't complaining before,” Rhys muttered under his breath.

“I'm just a digistruct that thinks it's Handsome Jack!” he shouted at a milk carton, lost in his own world.

Vaughn sighed. It was too early in the morning to deal with these kinds of philosophical questions. He picked up the spoon and carved himself a tiny slice from the pan. The brownies were definitely burnt, but he could tell that they would have been soft and chewy and close to perfect. “Maybe you can stage a comeback as a celebrity chef,” he said lightly.

Jack pulled his head out of the fridge, momentarily silenced by the change in subject.

“This is just the cabin fever talking. You need to get outside,” Vaughn continued. He'd often felt cooped up on Helios, opting to spend his rare vacation days somewhere with real plants and water that wasn't recycled, and he figured that at least it wouldn't do any harm. Jack was the adventuring type, after all.

“Outside? With all the abominations infesting this shitty planet?” Jack raised an eyebrow. “Not to mention the skags.”

“What about the bio-dome? There's only a couple of things there that'll try and eat you,” offered Rhys. He looked like he was about to fall asleep, head propped up in both hands. “Some of them will just kinda hump your leg a bit, but a good shove will get rid of them.”

A look of despair flitted across Jack's face and he sank down into the nearest chair. “Ugh. Pandora.”

“What, you scared?” Vaughn put his arm around his best friend and pressed a little kiss to his temple, brushing against his data port and making him giggle. “Go back to bed, bro. I'll babysit.”

“I don't need your help,” said Jack, his lower lip jutting out childishly.

“I'm not leaving you to have an existential crisis without supervision.” Vaughn looked down at the older man in amusement before taking him by the upper arm. “C'mon. We're going for a walk.”

Jack groaned loudly but allowed himself to be hauled out of his seat. “Come with us, Rhysie,” he pleaded. “He's no fun.”

“Sorry, you get the bad cop now,” said Rhys before he let out a huge yawn. “I was up late enough already. Don't kill each other.”

“Y'know, this lack of trust is really upsetting. Haven't we been through enough together?”

“I trust you when you're naked,” Rhys mumbled with a smile. Vaughn thought about it for a moment before he nodded in agreement.

“Sickos.”

\---

There was still a jagged hole in the dome, but a bright blue shield patch kept the rakks at bay. No other evidence of Vallory's attack remained. Outside, the stars rolled past, blurry and indistinct, while under the glass an artificial breeze set the canopy rustling. Jack had to admit that being there with all five senses was a revelation - not that he would ever say so to Vaughn.

“So, you bake, huh?”

Jack gritted his teeth and shoved his hands in his pockets, but Vaughn just kept on strolling beside him, irritatingly calm.

“I like it. It's art and science,” he muttered at last. “Like programming.”

“We tried baking once. Took days to clean up.” Vaughn half-smiled, half-cringed at the memory. “Rhys and I didn't speak to each other for a while after that. Though he still ate all of it. I’m not sure where he puts it all.”

The thought of such a normal existence seemed worlds away to Jack. People who lived on Pandora weren't supposed to have fond memories of things like cake. Or teamwork. “I…” he began, looking off into the distance. “I wish I'd had a friend like you, Vaughn. Life might have been real different.”

Vaughn stopped in his tracks, looking up at him questioningly.

“Y'know. Like…ugh, forget I said anything.” He waved the thought away in frustration, walking faster and kicking at a nearby bush. A puff of shimmering dust flew into the air, the flowers almost appearing to glare at him.

“Sure. Just figured it had to be important for you to use my actual name.”

“I said forget it, Tiny.” Jack rounded on him, feeling less imposing than usual. It was probably a good thing the world thought he was dead; at least they’d remember him the right way. “I just meant having a loser around to make me look good and worship my every bad decision. That's all.”

Vaughn just grinned. “See, that sounds more like the real Handsome Jack. Guess you're feeling better,” he said. Then his smile faded. “You're definitely real to Rhys. He still looks up to you after...everything. If that's not worshipping your bad decisions, I don't know what is.”

Jack narrowed his eyes. “I did what I had to do.”

“And I’ll do anything _I_ have to do,” said Vaughn in a steely voice.

“Will you, now?” murmured Jack, suddenly quiet. He reached out to run his fingers along Vaughn’s jaw. “You might be a violent little thing, but I know your type. No commitment. No...follow-through.”

He liked the way Vaughn looked up at him, blue eyes blazing with a strangely innocent defiance. He liked knowing what was under that loose shirt. He liked that stupid beard, for God’s sake. Living with these idiots was getting to him.

“Rhysie? Now _he_ gets it. He understands what needs to be done. Took down a whole space station in one go.”

“Don’t push me, Jack,” Vaughn growled.

Jack took a deliberate step forward, pleased when the other man didn’t back down. He leaned in to grip his chin properly, holding his gaze. “Or else what?”

With just a small shift of his weight, he pushed Vaughn back against a sturdy tree, gratified by the hint of a struggle against the motion before their bodies pressed together tightly. Vaughn's pulse was hot and heavy under the palm of his hand. Jack wasn't even sure what he wanted, only that he knew how to get it.

“Or else this.”

There was a sharp click from somewhere between them, and he looked down to see the muzzle of a revolver pressing into his ribs. Jack couldn’t help but let out a low laugh.

“Oh, sweetheart. You really have to stop doing that,” he moaned. His head was all fuzzy. “You're getting my wires crossed.”

Vaughn knew exactly what he meant. He wasn’t sure how they’d ended up there, light as air and feeling all tangled up like his edges were bleeding into everything around him. He took a deep breath, trying to pull in more oxygen and clear his head; at the same time he reached his free hand up to wrap around the back of Jack's neck. Just to steady himself, he thought, feeling the feverish heat of his skin where they touched. He hated how good Jack looked in the dim glow of the jungle.

“Besides, you wouldn't shoot me. You like me too much.”

Jack leaned into him, and for a moment it was like they were sharing all their senses, feeling every touch in duplicate. The gun slipped from his fingers to fall softly into the grass, no longer a part of him.

“What the hell was in those brownies?” mumbled Vaughn.

“Uh, there was butter, and sugar, and I _really_ think we should make out right now,” Jack said hoarsely.

Vaughn started to laugh, the sound coming from somewhere far away and vanishing to nothing as Jack kissed him.

A flare shot down his spine, igniting everything as it passed, all the floating sensations from before finally coalescing into one single instinct.

He kissed him back.

It wasn't a fight for dominance like before, nor was there any affection like when he was with Rhys - just pure, dirty need, and the intoxicating feeling of Jack’s mouth moving against his as they both took what they wanted. He could taste chocolate.

“Sometimes I wish I'd been in your head,” Jack whispered against his lips. “I wanna know what you're holding back.”

Vaughn shivered, a hundred filthy ways to humiliate Jack running through his head - things he would never ask of anyone. “You couldn’t handle me,” he said between breaths.

“Love to try, Tiny.” He felt Jack's hands slipping under his shirt. “Maybe we could start with me sucking you off.”

His thoughts stumbled to a halt as Jack moved to sink his teeth into his neck. For a moment, there was nothing Vaughn had ever wanted more in his life than to force him to his knees and punish him for his sins out here in the middle of nowhere, with nobody to hear him scream.

“Wait,” he gasped.

“Don't be shy.” Jack’s fingernails were raking across his skin, tongue tracing down to his collarbone...

“Jack - seriously, stop.” Vaughn shoved him away even though every nerve begged to let him keep going. “Something's wrong.”

They looked at each other, panting hard, eyes on fire. The corner of Jack's mouth twitched in a barely restrained smirk. “That's a pretty rare offer. Are you _really_ turning me down?”

“That's just it.” Vaughn gritted his teeth, pointing an accusatory finger in Jack's face. “You don't even go down on Rhys. You'd _never_ do it for me. There's something going on.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “What do you care?”

“I don't take advantage of people. Even scumbags like you.”

“You must have had a hell of a time at Hyperion, sunshine.”

Despite himself, he grinned. “Money's different. And I’ll do what I need to if someone I care about is in trouble.”

“And that includes me now, apparently.”

Vaughn's jaw dropped, and it took him a couple of seconds to snap his mouth shut again. He tried to speak but it just came out as an angry sputter. “Shut up, Jack,” he said at last, fumbling in the grass for his weapon and shoving it back in its concealed holster.

“Never.” Jack fired his finger guns and blew away the imaginary smoke. “Let's head back. I could use a cold shower. Or Rhys, whichever’s easier.”

“You're such an asshole.”

“I know.”

The sterile air of the facility managed to take the edge off their moods, though Vaughn avoided looking at the makeshift bed in case it brought back unhelpful memories. Jack was walking close by him and he was dismayed to find he didn't mind.

In the kitchen they found the mixing bowl, measuring cups,  and whisk in a sink filled with bubbles, a valiant attempt at cleaning up by Rhys given the state they'd last seen him in. The brownies had a few new spoonful-shaped dents in the surface. They also found a set of distinctly chocolate-coloured paw prints leading away to the sleeping quarters.

“She shouldn't be eating that,” said Vaughn.

“She's Pandoran. It's probably the least dangerous thing she's eaten this month.”

As they expected, Scraps was draped over Rhys in his room, both of them in a deep sleep. The cat's ear twitched at the sound of the door opening, the only sign of life from either one. The place was even messier than usual: clothes thrown haphazardly over the furniture, a dozen empty coffee mugs on every surface and a dying potted plant surrounded by annotated printouts on his bedside table. They decided to let them sleep in peace.

“You hungry?” whispered Jack as they walked back down the corridor.

Vaughn stretched his arms high over his head, rolling his neck side to side. “A little.”

“Good. I'm gonna make some goddamn dessert.”

\---

Jack took his baking as seriously as he took his work, bringing the same combination of precision and style to his laps around the kitchen island. Vaughn sat and watched; he was still not used to seeing the older man smile without a hint of cruelty or sarcasm.

“Do you really need to use that much sugar?” he asked.

“That depends. Do you want them to taste like an orgasm feels?” said Jack, throwing a devious look his way.

Vaughn felt his face growing hot. “Seriously, I wouldn't have tried them if I’d known.”

“But now you've had that taste.” Jack dipped his little finger into the mix, licking it slowly and deliberately as he held Vaughn's gaze. “And you liked it. You want more, don't you?”

“I'd modify the recipe,” Vaughn said, twisting his hands together under the counter. He tried not to think back to their encounter under the tree, though he could see the memory in Jack’s eyes. “Make it healthier.”

“Oh, sure, Muscles. But you'd know the difference...and you'd always miss the real thing.” This time he sank two fingers into the bowl before holding them out to Vaughn. “Go on. I won't tell.”

Vaughn's eyes widened, and Jack smirked, easing closer in a smooth motion until his fingertips were hovering just an inch away from the other man's mouth. He could see his instincts fighting, clear as day, and curiosity was winning; Vaughn leaned forward until his lips were just touching Jack’s hand, letting himself taste the batter on the tip of his tongue. It was rich and indulgent, and he exhaled, humming with pleasure.

“See, sunshine? There’s no substitute for Handsome Jack.”

He let himself nip playfully at Jack’s fingers, telling himself firmly that it was just the aftereffects of whatever had happened to them outside.

“Whoa, what the -”

The two of them whipped around to see Rhys staring at them. His hands were full of broken clay and dirt, a sadly shrivelled flower peeking out at the side.

“Hey, cupcake. Sleep well?” Jack said cheerfully, wiping his hands on a paper towel. Vaughn tried to avoid making eye contact with either of them.

“Yeah, ‘til your damn cat knocked this thing over onto me and it freaked out. There’s this, like, _glitter_ everywhere now. Ugh.”

Vaughn looked at the remains of the plant in his friend's hands. “Bro…” he said slowly, “where'd you get that?”

“Took a cutting off one of the plants in the dome. Y'know, recycle the air, brighten up the place,” said Rhys. “Why?”

Now Jack was looking at it too, frowning for several moments before his eyebrows shot up. “Ohhh. _Wow._ Oh, boy. It’s all over your frickin’ face. How much did you breathe in?” He put the batter into the fridge and turned off the oven, eyes sparkling in anticipation of new entertainment.

Rhys just looked tired and impatient as he dumped the remains into the trash. “What's wrong with it? Or with you for that matter?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all. In fact, you're probably about to have a very exciting day. Which means we are all in for some fun.”


	10. Overdrive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys discovers the full effects of Atlas' old experiments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follows on directly from the last chapter!
> 
> Once again this one took a while to get right, but once it started rolling it ended up with a life of its own.

Rhys started to look concerned. “Quit being mysterious, Jack! I need to know if my brain is going to explode or something.”

Vaughn hopped out of his seat and took a step away, holding out a damp tea towel at arm's length. “We, uh, found that same plant when we were in the dome. It makes you...sociable.”

“The word's horny, you little prude.”

“Right. What the jerk said. You aren't feeling weird or anything, are you?”

Taking the cloth and scrubbing at his face, Rhys shrugged. “No different from usual. Probably just you guys,” he said, voice muffled by the fabric.

“I tried to suck his dick,” Jack said flatly. “So it's pretty powerful.”

“Tried to…?”

Vaughn avoided Rhys’ stare, mortified.

"Okay, I’m a little jealous, I’ll admit. Can we grab some more of it?”

“I think you’ve had enough,” Jack said, watching the colour filling Rhys’ cheeks.

“I mean for you.”

"Sorry kiddo, it’s best someone has some brains around here.”

Rhys’ mouth twisted into a scowl. “Well, as you can clearly see, I’m fine - so whatever weird little moment you two had? It’s on you.”

Vaughn had his doubts, but he kept quiet. Maybe cutting pieces off the plant deactivated whatever it was.

“So, Rhysie baby, you _don't_ want me to do you on the kitchen counter right now?” Jack fixed him with a suggestive look.

“Hey. That's unhygienic,” Vaughn said loudly.

“Anything for the boss,” he said, sauntering over to grab a handful of Rhys’ butt. “Ain't that right, cupcake?”

Rhys jumped a little at the contact, stumbling into Jack's body. The older man looped an arm around his waist to catch him, then pulled him in close, winking. For a moment, he couldn't think - he felt like he was floating, the heat from Jack's skin strangely warm and inviting.

“I'm here when you need me,” Jack murmured in his ear.

At last he found his footing and pushed himself away. “The boss is going to be in his room, cleaning up the rest of this mess,” he said firmly, adjusting his clothes and strutting off.

“What a shame,” lamented Jack, watching him sweep out of the room. “It would have pissed Tiny off so much. Maybe later.”

Jack and Vaughn looked at each other with a mix of curiosity and suspicion, but they heard nothing more; in the awkward silence that followed, they took their seats facing away from each other, both pointedly not thinking about flowers or chocolate or the newly familiar feeling of being so close they barely knew where one ended and the other began.

It was only minutes after Rhys left that a silent notification appeared on Vaughn’s screen.

_Need you._

Vaughn’s breath caught in his chest as he stared at the message. Jack was still drumming his fingers obnoxiously on the table, completely oblivious. _Wrong number?_ he sent back.

_My room, bro. Now._

He gripped the ECHOpad tightly and bit his lip. He’d already resigned himself to the idea that Jack would be the one to deal with the issue and had been working on telling himself he wasn’t jealous – that Jack served an important purpose in absorbing Rhys’ excesses, and his own role was to be noble and take care of the fallout. Now he was hovering somewhere in between smug satisfaction and grave concern over what he might find in Rhys’ room.

“Back later,” he mumbled, shoving the device into his pocket. Jack gave him an appraising look but managed to hold his tongue for once.

When Vaughn reached Rhys’ room he found the door wide open, and he shut it gently behind him before daring to even look. Rhys was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes - but he didn't seem to be afraid, and when he turned to look at his friend there was a warm smile on his face.

“Vaughn,” he whispered, his voice full of wonder and adoration. “You came.”

“Are you alright?”

“I feel so…” He trailed off, looking for the right words. “Strange. Like I'm not here.”

“Yeah. I think I know what you mean.”

Vaughn went to sit by him and Rhys moved straight away to rest his head in his lap. His hair had grown back to its college length and without all the styling products it was soft and fine as Vaughn played with it. “But _you're_ here. And I'm gonna be okay,” Rhys continued.

“Are you sure? I can get you some coffee or something.”

“No, don't go.” He reached up to touch the bare skin just above Vaughn's collar, chuckling to himself before pulling his friend down into an awkward but tender kiss. He marvelled at the softness of Vaughn's lips, enjoying the slight tickle of his beard - familiar sensations he had never quite felt as brightly as this.

They stayed that way for several long, lazy seconds, until Rhys pulled himself up into a sitting position and smoothed down his clothes. He looked over at Vaughn through his eyelashes, admiring the thin scars just visible on his chest and shoulders, the sincerity in his eyes. Rhys felt like he was seeing him properly for the first time after all their years together; he leaned in for another kiss, suddenly distracted by the sparks travelling through his chest and all the way down to his groin.

Jack hadn't been kidding about the effects of that stuff.

“I wanted you here because you care,” Rhys murmured, pulling Vaughn's arms around him. “Because when I'm with you, I feel safe.”

“Rhys?”

He pressed his face against Vaughn's neck, a quiet giggle escaping him. “Would you laugh if I asked you to make love to me right now?”

Vaughn exhaled hard. “I'm trying not to. Laugh, I mean.”

“So…”

It was getting difficult to concentrate with Rhys’ tongue sliding along his throat and his hands determined to strip him from the waist down. “If you think it'd help,” he said, coughing awkwardly.

It was Rhys who burst into peals of laughter. He leaned back onto the bed, pulling Vaughn down on top of him. “You don't always need a reason, bro,” he said warmly. He kissed him deeper than before, holding his best friend tightly, feeling Vaughn's cock pressing into his thigh; this was everything he needed in that moment, only the promise of more allowing him to let go.

Rhys watched in fascination as Vaughn slicked himself up with a generous amount of lube. He was already remembering their first time together, reliving it as if it was happening again, twisting impatiently against the sheets. He hoped Vaughn didn't try to take things too slow - he was starting to realise just how much he needed this.

Fumbling with his underwear before kicking them aside, Rhys spread his legs wide and motioned urgently for Vaughn to climb on top. Vaughn seemed to sense his need; he felt a hand slip between his thighs just long enough for fingers to press gently at his hole and find him relaxed and ready.

“C'mon,” said Rhys with a sultry look, hooking one leg around the other man's waist and pulling him close. “No teasing.”

For a long moment Vaughn just looked down at him, tracing a hand over the delicate contours of his hips.

“You mean _so_ much to me,” he breathed.

“Me too,” said Rhys. Whatever else was clouding his mind, he was sure of that. He reached up to run his thumb along Vaughn's lip, shifting his body to allow his friend better access; finally, he felt the hard length lined up against him, and as he dug his heel into Vaughn's back he finally earned a taste of heaven. His eyes fluttered shut and he sighed, letting it slide deeper into him.

Rhys was sure he'd never felt anything like this, touching and being touched all at once, weightless, the mix of sensations reassuring instead of confusing. He reached up above his head to grip the bed frame, the steel cool under his left hand, the sheets warm and soft against his back. Vaughn was careful but sure, watching Rhys’ face as he sank into him, all the way to the hilt.

“Yes…” Rhys whispered, both legs now locked tightly around the other man. “Fuck, you feel good.”

“Ready?”

He nodded. Vaughn gave him a soft smile, and in that moment he felt so full of love that he thought he might die - but then Vaughn moved inside him, and all he knew was his body begging for more.

He was already moaning out loud, careless and shameless as he rolled his hips in response to Vaughn's slow thrusts. He was hitting all the right spots, like he had Rhys’ body memorised - gentle at first, making sure not to overwhelm him, but increasing in intensity as Rhys urged him on with half-coherent words and the pressure of his thighs.

Rhys thought he'd never seen anything as wonderful as the look of concentration on Vaughn's face, sweat glistening on his brow, hair clinging to his neck where it had fallen out of the bun. Everything was magnified, intertwined, connected; he let his mind go free and sank into the raw sensation. Vaughn was fucking him hard now, and his moans turned to faint whimpers - he grabbed at Vaughn's arms with both hands, arching his back and letting out a gasp of surprise and pleasure as he felt himself come.

He dropped to the bed, stunned and shaking, waiting for the stars to leave his vision.

“Your hand,” Vaughn choked out.

Rhys looked up and saw his metal fingers still clamped around his friend's arm, pulling it away the instant he understood.

“Sorry!” There was a faint shadow where his grip had been.

“It's okay. It was kinda sexy before you started crushing my bones.” Vaughn moved to pull out, but Rhys stopped him.

“You didn't come yet,” he purred.

“Don't worry about it. You're feeling better, right?”

Rhys leaned up to try and kiss him, just managing a peck on the lips before flopping back down. “We're not done here.”

“Bro, you can't seriously…”

He grinned and pointed down at his cock, still at full attention despite his recent orgasm. “Guess there really _was_ something in that glittery crap.”

“You really think you can go again?”

He winked. “Let's find out together.”

Vaughn slipped his fingers around Rhys’ cock, giving it a few slow strokes and earning a contented hum from his friend. At the same time, he started to move again; Rhys inhaled sharply at the friction against his still-sensitive nerves but was relaxing into the feeling in no time.

He couldn't help grinning as he watched Vaughn's concentration falter, rolling his hips to draw a low moan from him.

“Fuck, Rhys…”

“Harder,” he whined. With the way he was bucking to meet Vaughn's thrusts and the hand around his cock he could feel to his amazement that he was already close again. “Please.”

Vaughn gave it everything he had, bringing Rhys to the edge and holding him there, his loud whimpers turning to a scream as he hit his peak once again, coming in weak spurts. Vaughn followed seconds later with a guttural growl, gripping the sheets either side of Rhys’ waist as he collapsed against his body. Rhys hugged him close, panting, finally feeling some relief from the overwhelming need that had taken over him.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “So much. I…”

Vaughn just raised his head, giving him another soft smile, and he didn't feel the need to say any more.

\---

Jack had almost forgotten about the distant histrionic screaming by the time Rhys walked up to his desk a few hours later in his Atlas dressing gown, dishevelled and agitated.

“Kiddo,” he grunted by way of greeting, then went back to spinning his pencil around his fingers and humming to himself.

Rhys cleared his throat. “Uh, hey, Jack. You...busy?”

Jack watched him twisting his hands together, keeping his expression cold even as the sight entertained him. “Where’s your bestest best bro? I’ve missed his delightful company.”

“He's, uh, sleeping. He'd been up for a while, so I figured I'd let him…”

“Wore him out, did you? Guess he’s not quite ready for the big leagues.” He leaned back in his chair, no longer able to hide his smug grin. “Maybe I can teach him a few things, if you let me watch.”

“He did just fine, thanks.” Rhys was adorable when he blushed.

“Clearly not enough by the look of you though. Still standing, and all.”

“These are extreme circumstances, Jack. Are you going to help or not?” Concern started to knot in his belly.

Jack looked as though he was debating the idea. “I think you’re going to have to ask nicer than that after leaving me the sloppy seconds.”

“I need you.” His voice came out higher than usual.

“But do I need _you_?”

Rhys ran a hand through his hair as he leaned unsteadily over the desk, his laugh a little forced. “Of course you do, handsome.”

“Listen, pumpkin, I've got better things to do than service some slutty wannabe.”

A dark shadow passed over Rhys’ face. “Don't _ever_ call me that.”

“Which part? Slutty or wannabe? ‘Cause from where I'm sitting, you look ready to jump on any dick you can find.”

His jaw clenched and his hands curled into fists.

Jack smirked, kicking his heels up onto the desk. “But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you could convince me that you need _me_.”

They looked at each other in silence, and Rhys felt the flash of anger fading. He'd always known about Jack's capacity for jealousy, and having it pointed at him would have been almost flattering if not for the fire still burning in his blood. But he could play that game.

“I was just saving the best for last, Jack. I know you’re the only one who can really handle this.” Rhys twisted his body into what he hoped was its most alluring position. “Vaughn’s good, but you know how to fuck me _hard.”_

“I do, don't I, pumpkin?” Jack's gaze roamed appreciatively over his ass. “Love to tie you down and wreck you sometime. Really give it to ya.” Then he shrugged. “Not today, though.”

A weak groan escaped Rhys’ mouth, and he had to fight to keep his hands away from his aching cock. “But you'd enjoy it so much,” he said, starting to climb onto the desk.

Jack let him crawl over to his side, watching him coolly, and he had to admit that desperation was a good look on the kid. When Rhys reached out towards his groin, he caught his wrist in midair. “Uh-uh. You're really not making much of a case here.”

“Damn it, Jack. _Please.”_ His voice cracked. “I know you want me. And I need your help and I need _you_ -”

“Find something vaguely dick-shaped and figure it out yourself. I’m not your dildo.”

“No,” Rhys said thickly. “You're Handsome goddamn Jack. The man who single-handedly put Hyperion on top. The man who opened Vaults. The man I've wanted to be like since college.” He yanked his arm back out of Jack's grasp, drawing in a shuddering breath. “And I brought you back even though you're a fucking   _asshole_ because there was nobody else in the universe that could teach me as much as you.”

They stared at each other, and Jack realised to his consternation that his cock was at half-mast and rising.

“Interesting,” he muttered. “Come over here, kitten.”

He practically hauled Rhys into his lap, kissing him before he could get a word out. He twisted one hand through Rhys’ messy hair, fumbling with the other for the lever to tilt his chair back a few inches. Jack chuckled to himself as he felt Rhys’ eager fingers already reaching for his cock through his silk boxers, massaging it to full hardness.

“You're such a little brat, Rhysie,” he said, yanking him back by the hair to look him in the eye. “One of these days I won't be so nice.”

“Yeah?” Rhys stared back defiantly, lips curling into a grin.

“Oh, I’m gonna wipe that look off your pretty face,” said Jack. “And you'll _thank_ me.”

Rhys whimpered involuntarily, a sound that went straight to Jack's cock. Jack wrestled his underwear out of the way with his free hand, freeing his erection and smirking as the other man stared at it.

“You ready to ride, princess?”

“Fuck yes,” said Rhys, hitching up his gown around his waist. Jack grabbed at his ass with both hands, fingers finding him already slippery with lube. The older man frowned. Rhys just fluttered his eyelashes. “I knew you'd see things my way.”

“You little shit,” Jack hissed, but he couldn't stay angry as Rhys straddled his hips, reaching back to guide Jack's cock to his entrance. He slid down onto it in one long, slow motion until it was buried deep inside him, granting him a moment's relief from the hunger that was eating him alive. He rested his forehead against Jack's, moving both hands to grip the man's shoulders.

“Mmm. Still so tight,” Jack murmured.

Rhys rolled his eyes. “You're a real charmer.”

“You love it.”

Then Rhys shifted in Jack's lap, and he stopped talking immediately, distracted by the sweet, hot feel of him. The kid started up a rhythm, slow and smooth as they both caught their breath; Jack pressed his face against Rhys’ throat, alternately kissing and nipping at the delicate skin, making him giggle.

“It's all yours, baby. Get what you need, Jack’s here for you.”

Wrapping his arms around Jack's neck, Rhys started to ride him in earnest, sliding up and down on his cock, using it to stimulate himself. Jack watched the younger man's face as Rhys closed his eyes and tipped his head back in pleasure.

“Nghh - Jack…”

“Good boy.” Jack gave Rhys’ ass a rough squeeze. “Take it.”

He let out a deep groan as Rhys shifted his angle, moving his hips in a new way that was making it difficult for Jack to keep his composure. Rhys was pressed up against him now, whimpering in his ear, driving him crazy. He gritted his teeth and tried to think of something less interesting.

Rhys’ thighs were shaking from the combination of pleasure and exertion as he desperately tried to get himself off. Jack's cock felt so good inside him, filling him, and yet it wasn't enough, his nerves wrung out as half of him begged to stop and the other half refused. Wild and frantic, he kept riding until he heard a frustrated shout -

“Shit, _fuck!"_

He swore he could feel Jack coming inside him, the thought giving him a wicked sense of satisfaction even as he whined in disappointment. Jack grabbed him by the waist, forcing him to hold still as he thrust up into him one last time; then his arms dropped to his sides as he exhaled heavily.

“You're too hot for your own good, baby,” he murmured as he slowly eased his spent cock out. “Ugh, give me a moment…”

“Jack,” urged Rhys. He was feeling undignified and would probably regret it, but he was so _close god damn it -_

“Fine. Extreme circumstances,” said Jack. He swept the desk clear with both hands before lifting a surprised Rhys onto the edge. “Don't get used to it, cupcake.”

Jack leaned over and kissed the swollen head of Rhys’ cock before taking it into his mouth, sucking it all the way down until it hit the back of his throat. He wasted no time, working the whole length hard and fast, tongue sliding against the underside. Rhys couldn't look away, unable to believe what he was seeing - but if it was a dream, it was the best one he'd ever had: his hero's mouth on his cock, hot and wet and determined to make him come. He cried out wordlessly, gripping the edge of the desk, trying to hold on for as long as he could, to make the perfect dream last.

Then Jack met his eyes and he was gone, bucking up into the man's mouth as he finally found his release. He wanted to scream but only managed to moan Jack's name before collapsing backwards onto the desk, dizzy and exhausted. Every inch of him felt like he'd just been plunged into cool water after so long being on fire, his body distant and calm.

Rhys let himself be pulled into a kiss, tasting himself on Jack's tongue. He almost laughed.

“Of course you don't swallow,” he mumbled.

Jack’s teeth grazed his lower lip warningly. “I was expecting a little more gratitude.”

“Mmm.” He wrapped his arms loosely around Jack. “I think you like me more than you want to admit,” said Rhys.

Extricating himself from Rhys’ long limbs, Jack refused to dignify that with a response. “So, your dick calmed down now?”

“Man, I sure hope so. That stuff is...well, it's not good for productivity.”

“You could market it. Atlas’ comeback product,” said Jack. “ENGORGE, except it actually works. Imagine the profits!”

“Imagine the _lawsuits,”_ Rhys replied sternly. “Anyway, I'm taking a shower. Again. We'll talk later about those stabilisers.”

Jack shrugged and nodded. This was the strangest job he'd ever had.

\---

Vaughn was woken up from his deep, blissful sleep by the insistent ringing of his ECHO.

“Hey, short stuff,” Jack's voice barked before he could get a word out. “We've got a situation.”

He sat up quickly, reaching for his glasses and loading up the facility diagnostics. “Which sector?”

“The ‘your best friend's a whore’ sector. Seriously, I need some backup here.”

Vaughn scowled. “What's the matter, old man? Can't get it up?”

“If you'd fucked him right the first time -”

He muted Jack's voice, tossing the blanket aside and dropping to the floor. “I'm on my way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)


	11. A House United

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone bands together for the good of the company.

Vaughn found himself thrown down onto the edge of Rhys’ bed the moment he entered the room, his best friend clambering on top of him and kissing him breathlessly.

“What the hell is going on?” he managed to ask.

“Phase three, apparently,” Jack said, watching from where he leaned against the wall. He had his cock in his hand, stroking it idly. “Might be a job for both of us, if you catch my drift.”

Vaughn’s eyes went wide. “Whoa, whoa, hold up.” He managed to push Rhys back just far enough to get some air. “Are you sure we shouldn’t be, like, taking him to a hospital at this point? Y’know, if symptoms persist for more than four hours...”

“Good luck with that, sunshine. I think this is gonna be one for Doctor Dick.”

Rhys giggled, propping himself up over Vaughn’s body with a hand either side of him. “It’s worth a try,” he said, tossing his hair back with a devilish grin. “At least I’d die happy.”

He glanced over at Jack, who was looking at them both with something approaching affection. “C’mon, don’t you wanna grant your buddy his dying wish?”

“Nobody is going to die,” said Vaughn, a little hysterical. He looked into Rhys’ eyes. “Bro, are you sure about this? I...don't want to hurt you.”

Rhys nodded, biting his lip in an unfairly sexy way as he reached down between them to expose Vaughn's cock. He gave it a few slow pumps before raising his eyebrows in a questioning manner.

“Fuck - I can never say no to you, can I?” Vaughn laughed despite himself and placed his hand over his friend's, kicking off his shorts the rest of the way. “Just promise me you’ll stop us if it's too much.”

“Promise.”

Jack's voice cut across their tender little moment. “If anyone can handle that much dick, it's Rhysie here.” He tapped him lightly on the ass, earning glares from both men in response. “You go first, Tiny. Though it feels weird calling you that right now, ‘cause in proportion to your height, you are _killin’_ it.”

“Huh. That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.”

Impatient, Rhys adjusted his position on the bed to straddle Vaughn properly, slicking him up with a handful of lube. When he finally sank down onto his cock it was in one smooth, easy slide; Rhys let out a hum of satisfaction, rolling his hips in a circle until Vaughn couldn't help but groan too.

“Nice,” Jack murmured. Vaughn always acted like an awestruck virgin when it came to Rhys, and the look suited him. He filed away the mental images for later as he applied a generous amount of lube to his own cock, unsurprised to find that the bottle was starting to run low.

His fingertips nudged against the edge of Rhys’ hole as he came to stand behind him. Rhys turned his head clumsily to kiss Jack, not quite able to hide the nervous hitch in his breathing or the vulnerable look in his wide eyes.

“I can do this,” he said.

“I _know_ you can do it,” Jack whispered back. “But we’re taking it slow.” He ignored Rhys’ protests, knowing that despite the attractive idea of fucking him right now they’d all regret it in reality. With a little pressure he was able to slide the tip of the first finger into him, listening for any sign of discomfort as he pressed further in.

Rhys was fine; Vaughn froze momentarily before relaxing back onto the sheets. “Holy crap, that’s...really weird,” he said.

“Good weird or bad weird?” asked Rhys, tilting his head.

“Somewhere on the good side.” Vaughn gripped Rhys’ cybernetic hand tightly. “What about you?”

“Mmm. Try another one, Jack.” The second finger made Rhys writhe a little, moaning quietly with pleasure and anticipation as he began to grind back against both of them. “Fuck, that's so good…”

When Rhys felt a third finger join the others inside him it was finally enough to give him pause. He exhaled slowly, tipping his head forward.

“You're doing great, pumpkin.” Jack squeezed Rhys’ waist with his free hand as he carefully slid his fingers in and out, marvelling at how tight and hot he was. “Need a break?”

Rhys shuddered and shook his head. “Keep doing that,” he ordered, though whatever authority he had in his voice was giving way to desperation. He'd never felt anything so overpowering before, something almost too much and yet just shy of what he needed most.

The motion of Jack's fingers combined with the comfort of Vaughn's touch helped him relax into it, and soon Rhys was rutting against them, whimpers of delight escaping his mouth. He flashed a sultry look over his shoulder. “Come on, Jack. Enough stalling,” he murmured.

“Man, you are gonna be so frickin’ spoilt after this,” said Jack, eyes roving down the line of Rhys’ tattoos to the soft curve of his ass. “One won't be enough for ya.”

“Too bad,” said Rhys with a wicked smirk. “At least I’ll know you can work together now.”

“We might just cut you out of the equation. Isn't that right, Muscles?”

He caught Vaughn's eyes as he dragged his fingertips firmly along his cock, making him buck into Rhys with a deep groan. Satisfied, Jack chuckled and slowly pulled his hand away to place it on the small of Rhys’ back.

“Alright, kitten.” His voice was low and dangerous, and he enjoyed the way Rhys shivered under his touch. “Time for your wet dreams to come true.”

Vaughn reached up to touch Rhys on the shoulder, tracing a soft line along his collarbone. “Remember, we can stop any time.”

“I know.” Rhys looked down at him with absolute trust and adoration - only to throw his head back in a silent scream a moment later as the first inch of Jack’s cock slid into him. He gripped the sheets with both hands, his whole body going rigid as he struggled to take more than he ever had before.

“It's okay, bro. Just breathe.” Vaughn felt the guilt in the deepest part of his chest as he watched Rhys gasp for air, tears welling in his eyes, but the worst part was how turned on the sight made him.

For once Jack wasn't taunting either of them, one hand cupping Rhys’ face from behind, thumb stroking his cheek in encouragement. “Talk to us, baby. You need to tell us how you’re doing.”

“I'm fine,” he choked out. “Just - need a moment.” He guided Vaughn's hand to his cock and together they gave it a few slow strokes, enough to help him relax.

Jack waited for a nod before pushing just a tiny bit deeper; this time it was easier. “You look so fuckin’ beautiful right now, Rhysie,” he said, his voice husky and sincere. “And you feel like _heaven.”_

Slowly and carefully, they worked until Jack's cock was buried inside him, pressed up against Vaughn's, the three of them taking a moment to adjust to their positions. Rhys had a sheen of sweat on his forehead, but he was grinning.

“Is it everything you hoped for?” asked Vaughn.

“Best day ever,” he said gleefully. “Now fuck me.”

“Yes, _sir_ ,” said Jack under his breath. He took Rhys by both hips, drawing a contented sigh from him as he shifted his weight slowly back and forth, then paused. “Now you, Vaughn.”

Vaughn nodded and steadied himself on the bed before doing the same, watching Rhys’ eyes flicker shut. Jack looked down at him with undisguised approval.

“Mmm. You got a real nice dick, sunshine.”

“He does,” purred Rhys.

“High praise,” murmured Vaughn, a smirk at the corner of his lips as he made another controlled thrust upwards.

They started taking turns to fuck Rhys, relishing the increasingly desperate moans falling from his mouth and the slick friction between them, so much more powerful and intense than before. Even Jack had never felt anything like the tight heat surrounding his cock. He leaned forward, burying his face in Rhys’ neck and inhaling the mix of expensive soap and sweat on his skin; at the same time he stole a glance over the younger man's shoulder to admire the sculpted perfection of Vaughn's body, every muscle under precise control.

He would have to explore that further sometime.

Rhys reached back to grab at Jack's hair as a thrust hit him just right, but it was Vaughn's name he cried out. Jack narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth; one hand drifted up to sit at the base of Rhys’ throat, pulling him in against his chest. “You want more, princess?”

“Y - yes,” Rhys panted. He didn't let go, bracing himself against Vaughn's abdomen with his other hand.

“So greedy,” said Jack. “Two dicks stuffed in you and you still can't get enough.”

“Shut up and fuck me,” he growled.

Vaughn propped himself up on his elbows and started bucking into him with powerful thrusts. Rhys moaned in delight; not to be outdone, Jack joined in the rhythm, almost sadistic in the way he fucked him - but Rhys’ voice just rose higher and louder.

“Ah - fuck! Don't stop, I'm so close, I’m so _close_ -”

“Come for us, Rhysie,” Jack snarled in his ear. _“Now.”_

He came with a hoarse cry, his throat too raw to scream, convulsing between them with barely more than a few drops leaking from the tip of his cock. Rhys was shaking, his vision filled with stars and ECHO circuits going haywire as his heart pounded in his ears; he was only dimly aware of Jack laughing as heat spilled across his back, and of hearing Vaughn call out his name…

Rhys came back to full awareness lying facedown on the bed, someone's hands cleaning him up and someone else's stroking his hair. He took a deep breath which turned into a yawn; his whole body was in a state of total relaxation, and all traces of the strange burning sensations inside his nerves finally gone.

“Hey, bro.” Vaughn's voice was warm and soft.

“Am I dead?” Rhys asked sleepily.

He saw Jack's face appear at the edge of his vision. “Nah. But it would have been a hell of a way to go.” Jack was holding a handful of dirty tissues, which surprised him. “How are you feeling?”

“Mmm. Kinda tired. Definitely sore.” He grinned at both of them. “And...really fucking happy.”

Vaughn leaned in to kiss his forehead. “Man, I hope that pollen's worn off. I don't think any of us can go another round.”

“Speak for yourself, sweetheart,” said Jack. They ignored him, except for a brief roll of the eyes from Rhys.

"You should get some sleep,” said Vaughn, moving to stand up.

Rhys reached out to him, flashing one of his irresistible winning smiles. “Stay. You too, Jack.”

“Love to, babe, but we're not fitting all of us in here lying down. Besides, your pal and I have a biohazard to dispose of.”

As they were leaving the room, Scraps weaved between their legs and sprang onto the bed, taking up a position by Rhys’ feet.

“Damn,” said Jack. “She really is trying to steal our boyfriend.”

Vaughn raised his eyebrows. “Our boyfriend? That's awfully sentimental of you.”

“Shut up, Tiny.”

\---

It was a tense fifteen minutes of cautious breathing and silent arguments before Jack finally found a box of dust filter masks on the top shelf of a storage room.

“What a day, huh?” said Jack, rolling his shoulders. “I still think a flamethrower would work best.”

“There are a lot of reasons why we’re not doing that,” Vaughn said, exasperated. “But I'm gonna go with the fact that clouds of vaporised pollen would be a bad thing, not to mention the automatic sprinklers flooding the place.”

“Don't worry, sweetheart.” Jack came in close, attempting to sweep him into a dramatic embrace. “I’ll still want you.”

Vaughn wrestled him off with a warning elbow to the chest. “Do you ever switch off?”

“Ahaha...nope. Jack's turned on and ready to go any time.”

He was grateful that his mouth was covered so Jack wouldn't see him crack a smile.

By now they were acutely aware of what the plant looked like, and they scoured every part the dome they could access. Jack had hacked into whatever Atlas archives were still usable and found an increasingly informal record of a suspected outbreak in the facility, followed by a detailed schematic of the root system with notes recommending destruction of all samples.

“Damn. No videos,” he said. “I've heard scientists are super freaky.”

“Just keep digging.”

Hours later, sweaty and exhausted and covered in dirt, they dragged several sealed airtight bags to the garbage disposal.

“I’m not sure if this was a typical Atlas screw up with how much of this stuff they failed to destroy, or someone just really didn’t want to get rid of it,” said Jack.

“It’s kind of a shame,” said Vaughn. “They’re really pretty.”

“Dangerous things often are.” Jack wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “Shower? No funny stuff, I'm about to pass out,” he added when Vaughn narrowed his eyes.

Vaughn liked to shower in the mornings, but Jack usually associated the water with a good night’s sleep, and once he’d scrubbed himself clean there was nothing more he wanted than to collapse into his custom-made pile of comfortable blankets. He rested one arm across Vaughn's shoulders as they shuffled back through the facility, quietly smug about the lack of any objection.

“This frickin’ thing,” he chuckled as they passed Rhys’ desk. He traced over the lettering on the Atlas deed and tried not to think about the fact that he'd earned it back in another life. “Man, if you told me five years ago I'd be working for Atlas…”

He looked over at Vaughn, whose face was suddenly pale.

“What? I'm not gonna rip it up.”

“Jack…look.”

Vaughn raised an arm and pointed at the corner of the desk, where a very familiar flower sat nestled in a terracotta pot.

“Aw, goddamn, it took ages to scrub all that shit off.”

“That’s not what I mean. Do you think this is why he’s always so…” Vaughn trailed off.

“Come on, Tiny, you can say it this time, it’s just us,” Jack goaded.

Vaughn sighed. “Horny. There. Are you happy now? But do you think it’s why? I mean there’s one here and there was one in his room.” He twisted his hands together anxiously. “It would explain why he didn’t want to do anything when he got back from his trip until he’d had a nap next to one of them.”

Jack shrugged. “Could be. Constant low dose of the shit. He would have noticed if it was outright spraying like earlier.”

“Do you think that’s the only reason…” Vaughn shifted his weight from side to side. “You were in his head, you must have some insight.”

Jack laughed. “Now who’s insecure? Maybe we're just that attractive.”

Vaughn glared at him and turned away to shove the plant into the trash bag. “Yeah well, makes you wonder doesn’t it?” He stormed out of the office, leaving Jack to do just that.

Jack wasn't worried, of course. He had every reason to believe that Rhys had always wanted him. And if he wanted him enough to sabotage his own facility and risk all their lives…well. That kind of thing happened, especially to someone so handsome. And who knew why Rhys hadn't slept with his beloved best friend before now?

He shook his head to clear it. Jack found himself walking past Rhys’ room on the way back to his own, but decided against looking in, figuring the kid had earned a rest. He was surprised to find Vaughn waiting outside the door to the lounge he’d taken as his own room.

“There was a message on my door saying there was another company meeting in the lounge, but it looks like he fell asleep when he got here,” Vaughn said. “Either that or the ‘meeting’ was just another attempt at getting the cuddling he wanted.” He grinned as he gestured over his shoulder to where Rhys was asleep on the cushions.

Jack sighed. “I really just want to sleep.”

“No one is stopping you, plenty of room.” Vaughn waited, letting Jack pick a side first, since it was technically his bed. Jack stripped down to his boxers and slipped in behind Rhys, pulling him tight against him and resting his face against his neck. Vaughn lifted the blankets and settled in on the other side, gently pulling Rhys’ arm across him. Rhys didn’t stir at all. Within moments they were both asleep as well.

Rhys woke first, having gotten the most sleep, but realising his plan had succeeded he decided to just lay still and grin. With a man either side of him he felt warm, and adored, and somehow protected; his fingers skimmed over the muscles of Vaughn's back while his legs were intertwined with Jack's, both of them breathing softly - at least until Vaughn woke and asked what he was so happy about.

“It was a good meeting.” He felt more than heard Jack snort against his neck.

“How's your dick?” Jack mumbled.

“Fine. My ass is gonna need some time off, though.”

“We can work around that.”

Rhys giggled, squirming as Jack tried to kiss his neck, but he stopped when he noticed the strained look on Vaughn's face.

“What's wrong, bro?” he asked.

“Rhys…” Vaughn looked away, anywhere but those trusting eyes. “You had it on your desk. That plant.”

He chuckled to himself. “Damn. Guess I should leave the interior decorating to someone else.”

“I'll say,” said Jack.

“This is serious,” Vaughn said, louder. “You've been breathing it the whole time we've been here! What if - what if everything that's happened has just been…”

He trailed off as Rhys placed a hand on his cheek.

“You’re worried I won't want you anymore?”

“I'm worried you never really did,” said Vaughn, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ignoring Jack's gagging noises from behind him, Rhys leaned over to kiss his friend softly. “I think we've both been hiding behind ‘just friends’ for some time now. I want to be with you. Both of you. Whatever this is...I like it.”

Jack propped himself up on one elbow. “Come to think of it, what _is_ this? I mean, as much as I'd like to spend my days boning you guys in a remote corner of this nutsack of a planet, that’s probably not a life plan. Or a business plan.”

“We'll get back out there soon,” said Rhys, snuggling back into him.

“In case you haven't noticed, I’m not exactly popular ‘out there’. Also? Supposedly dead.”

“Yeah, I always figured we'd kill you, burn the body and never tell anyone what happened here,” Vaughn said nonchalantly.

“That's cold, Muscles. And here I thought we were pals.”

He met Jack's eyes with a smirk and a cool, challenging stare. “Don't worry. Rhys would never let me do it.”

Rhys rolled onto his back and awkwardly pulled both of them closer, nuzzling Vaughn and then Jack. “When will you two admit you're madly in love and I'm just the third wheel?”

“Baby, you're the glue holding this weird little thing together.”

The three of them lay in comfortable silence, and Rhys could have easily have fallen asleep again. He yawned. “So, I did actually want to hold a meeting. With talking and stuff.” Holding out his right arm, he projected a series of filenames into the air.

“What are we looking at?” Vaughn asked, resting his head on his friend's shoulder.

“I put out some feelers at the conference.” Rhys ignored Jack's snickering. “Collected a few resumes - mostly freelancers. Scientists, engineers...people are looking for something new. Something better.”

He opened one of the documents, scrolling through someone's impressive list of accomplishments.

“I want to do this right. Open up the facility, rebuild this company.” The projection disappeared. “And I want you guys to be a part of it.” Rhys fell quiet, looking either side of him as he anxiously waited for a response. None of this had been part of the plan when they'd arrived, but now it seemed as though it couldn't be any other way.

Finally Jack sat up. “Atlas Two-Point-Oh. A sexy cyborg, a dead guy, and a bandit nerd,” he said with a grin. “This should be interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We had ridiculous amounts of fun writing this ;) <3


End file.
